South Africans on Monday sang the praises of their very own, home grown Oscar winner, Charlize Theron.
The 28-year-old, who grew up on a farm outside the sleepy town of Benoni speaking only Afrikaans, has now been propelled to Hollywood royalty status after less than 10 years as an actress.
Theron, who put in a stunning performance as prostitute and serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, had to undergo a robust make-over and pile on nearly 14kg of weight to give the character the credibility it required in the movie aptly named "Monster".
"The film opened in South Africa yesterday and I'm going to go back home and show them an Oscar," she said backstage after winning the award.
"I know everyone in New Zealand's been thanked," she said, joking of the 11-win sweep for 'Lord of the Rings', "so I'm going to thank everyone in South Africa, my home country.
"This has been such an incredible year," she said, choking back tears after accepting her golden statuette from last year's best actor winner Adrien Brody. She thanked her co-star, Christina Ricci, calling her "truly the unsung hero of this film."
When she attended the Oscar Governor's Ball after the Academy Awards ceremony at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, Theron was still speechless over her win.
"It's been an incredible journey and I feel so incredibly blessed," said the actress, who wore a golden-coloured beaded and sparkling gown by designer Tom Ford to Hollywood's biggest night.
President Mbeki said in a statement shortly after the announcement at the 76th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles:
"South Africa has done it again, the Nobel prize for peace, Nobel for literature and now an Oscar for best actress.
"Theron has proved that we as a nation can produce the best in the world. In this film we see her drawing on her innate tough-mindedness and her own emotional stamina in overcoming the tragic personal circumstances of her own early life, in order to shine.
"Ms Theron, in her own personal life, represents a grand metaphor of South Africa's move from agony to achievement. We rejoice in the recognition by the most critical minds in filming, that Charlize Theron is pure gold."
The talented young actress also drew praise from the New National Party. and the Democratic Alliance.
The ravishing former model and ballet dancer who arrived in Hollywood less than 10 years ago with no acting experience, thanked her mother Gerda (who shot and killed Theron's father in self-defence in the early 1990s).
"To my mom, you have sacrificed so much for me to make my dreams come true.
"There are no words to describe how much I love you. And I'm not going to cry," she said almost breaking down.
Oscars expert Tom O'Neil said "The voters love beautiful women who have to sacrifice their looks for a film, Charlize did this well and they love her."
But critics say Theron deserved cinema's highest honour not only for her remarkable transformation but also for her raw, and sometimes empathetic, depiction of the tragic but murderous Wuornos.