South Africa’s Top Musical Talents Are Set To Perform ln What Promises To Be A Dazzling Miss South Africa 2024 Finale

South Africa’s top musical talents are set to perform in what promises to be a dazzling Miss South Africa 2024 finale, which will take place on Saturday, August 10, at Sun International’s flagship venue, the SunBet Arena, Time Square, Pretoria.

The artists are Jesse Clegg, Kamo Mphela, Lebo Mashile, Zoë Modiga and sign language activist Andiswa Gebashe.

Jesse Clegg is a platinum-selling singer-songwriter with five SAMA (South African Music Award) nominations. He makes a return to the Miss South Africa stage after having performed at the finale in 2019. A significant accolade that is soon to be added to Clegg's career is his upcoming headline performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City – an iconic venue which is considered to be a pinnacle of live music performance – in October this year.

If you were to take the words “born to dance” and put them into human form, Kamo Mphela would certainly be the personification of that phrase. South Africa’s dancing sensation and amapiano vocalist made a name for herself when videos of her dancing at events went viral on social media. Her energy was tangible, her love for the art form palpable. She was introduced to a global audience in 2022 when she featured on the Black Panther soundtrack album.

Mphela believes that performing at the Miss South Africa pageant is such a unique experience because it brings together the beauty, talent, and aspirations of the nation's finest: “Audiences can expect a high-energy show filled with amazing visuals, powerful pertormances, and a celebration of South African culture. It's an honour to be part of such a prestigious event that empowers women and showcases the best of what our country has to offer.”

Zoë Modiga creates a distinct sound to communicate a modern, evolving African story without losing its essence. As a lively transcendent performer with a background in classical and jazz training, she enchants audiences into another world while having an evocative individualism in fashion and imagery. She has performed at festivals around South Africa and on global stages and participated in Somi’s Salon Africana series (New York) and production, Dreaming Zenzile (New York/Utah), a celebration and reimagining of Miriam Makeba’s life. Modiga is thrilled to be part of this year’s finale: “Miss South Africa is such an aspirational, legacy work that I grew up watching as a young girl. We’ve seen so many beautiful, intelligent, purposeful women on this stage, some who’ve gone on to raise our flag worldwide so I’m honoured to be a part of the magic. Audiences can expect me to be featured as the soundscape as we celebrate us in all our splendor.”

Lebo Mashile is an award-winning writer, performer, producer, actress and activist. She is a South African household name who is most recognisable for her lyrical and gutsy poetry which has captivated audiences worldwide. Mashile has acted both on stage and in film and performed with the University of Johannesburg Choir in The New Covenant, a moving elegy on climate change written by Antjie Krog. It was recently released as an album. Mashile is currently working with UJ Arts & Culture to adapt high school poetry set works into a full length stage production. She admits to being delighted to take to the Miss South Africa stage this month: “When I got the call to perform at Miss South Africa 2024, the teenager inside me squealed. I am thrilled to be performing my poetry on a stage that has produced formidable women over the years. This year’s finalists are truly inspirational and I am excited to be sharing the stage with them. Learning about the finalists’ stories has shown me how much Miss South Africa continues to evolve in terms of inclusivity as standards for women worldwide change. This is why Miss South Africa is held in high regard in the pageant industry and it continues to be a leading influence on beauty pageants worldwide.”

Andiswa Gebashe was known as the President's interpreter during the Covid19 pandemic and is a South African Sign Language (SASL) activist. Her knowledge and passion led her to become a consultant and language practitioner in edutainment and performing arts. As head researcher for Beyond on SABC2, Gebashe's work earned her a South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) nomination. She was also one of the first SASL performers on Comedy Central's Democrazy special. As one of South Africa's top interpreters, her dedication drives her efforts for full inclusion and equal rights for deaf people, especially in the entertainment industry. Says Gebashe: “There's a famous saying within the community, ‘Hearing people can learn Sign Language/s. Deaf people cannot learn to hear.’ So it is an honour to be part of history in the making, where we make Miss South Africa also accessible to an audience that uses a visual language, especially with the event taking place a month after South African Sign Language’s 12th language official status anniversary and a month before International Deaf Awareness month. It's a beautiful way to celebrate inclusion of the language, while promoting its social cohesion.”

The Miss South Africa 2024 Top 9 through to the finale are Chidimma Adetshina, Layla Zoubair, Lebohang Khoza, Mia le Roux, Nompumelelo Maduna, Onalenna Constantin, Ontshiametse Tlhopane, Palesa Lombard and Taahira Katz. The fate of the last finalist – either Kirsten Khan or Kebalepile Ramafoko – is now in the hands of the South African public as they get the chance to vote for who will take the final spot.

Voting is now open on the Miss South Africa App and on the Miss South Africa website and closes at 18h00 on August 8. The contestant who will be joining the other nine women during the pageant finale on S3 on August 10 at 18h00.

Miss South Africa 2024 will be crowned at Sun International’s SunBet Arena at Time Square, Pretoria on Saturday, August 10. VIP and general access tickets are on sale at Ticketpro, the Miss South Africa website and on the Miss South Africa app.