From Herzlia to Playboy

BLONDE bombshell Zimra Geurts has shot from a humble South African suburb to become Holland's Playmate of the Year for 2011 and feature on the cover of Playboy magazine in Croatia.

And her granny, Anita Kassel, 79, from Thornton in Cape Town, is proud as punch.

Geurts, 20, who attended Herzlia High School in Cape Town, was personally congratulated by Hugh Hefner when she clinched the Playmate title earlier this year.

Steamy Playboy pictures show her lying in a heap of hay, practically nude but for a pair of clogs.

"I'll share my key to happiness," Geurts said this week. "It's mostly being grateful for everything you have."

Born to a South African mother and a Dutch father, Geurts now lives in Toronto, Canada, where she hopes to pursue a career in modelling.

She was born in Utrecht, Holland, but stayed with her aunt and uncle, cousins and grandparents in the Cape Town suburb of Thornton for two years after her parents split. She attended the prestigious Herzlia - a Jewish community school.

"I have so many fun memories of Herzlia, especially of the friends I made there. My favourite subjects were definitely acting and Afrikaans - it's similar to Dutch in a funny way so that always made me laugh," she said.

When she was 15, a modelling scout approached her at a Cape Town nightclub .

Her aunt, Gillian Emergui, said: "We're very proud and very happy for her. Initially it was a bit shocking - but she's blossoming. Besides, we've always been a very musical and entertaining family."

Granny Kassel added: "As long as she's happy we're really proud. She always said that she wanted to be a model as a child ... one does associate models with clothing, but oh well."

Apart from Hefner's flagship Playboy magazine in the US, country-specific versions are published worldwide, including South Africa. The magazine's readers vote for the "Playmate of the Year", who then gets to appear on the cover.