Fashioning Modern Africanism

Miss Universe South Africa Bryoni Govender has been named one of the Top 10 silver finalists in Miss Universe 2023’s  Voice For Change  and remains one of the front-runners to take the Miss Universe title. During  Voice for Change , Govender spoke about her advocacy campaign  Her Way Out , the main objective of which is to take up the cudgels on behalf of women everywhere and help educate them on their legal rights. To make her campaign as effective as possible, Govender has teamed up with the Social Impact team at global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright to focus on, amongst others, access to justice projects. Govender has also been appointed as an ambassador for the public benefit organisation Lawyers against Abuse (LvA). The  Voice for Change  selection committee included people from all over the world who have created an impact in the society with their outstanding work and comprised Prof. Jonathan Levav – The King Philanthropies Professor of Marketing, Stanford GSB; Prof. Leonard Sch

Natasha Joubert from Centurion in Tshwane has been crowned Miss South Africa 2023 at the spectacular pageant finale held at the SunBet Arena at Time Square in Pretoria on Sunday night. Joubert (26) is a BCom Marketing Management graduate and is the owner and fashion designer of Natalia Jefferys, a company she started when she was 19. Runner-up was Johannesburg’s Bryoni Govender who was also the Motherkind fitness award winner. An emotional and overwhelmed Joubert said she was truly humbled and grateful to win the title and to be the first to wear the glittering new Mowana (“Tree of Life”) crown from Nungu Diamonds. She received   R1 million in cash in a prize and sponsorship package that includes   the use of a serviced apartment at the lavish Brookfield at Royal in Kensington – developed by Tricolt – for the year of her reign.  She will also get to drive  a Mercedes-Benz   GLC   as well as go on a trip to Paris sponsored by L’Oreal. In her acceptance speech Joubert, a firm favourite a

When Miss South Africa 2023 is crowned on Sunday she will wear a brand new coronet dubbed Mowana, the “Tree of Life”. As the new title holder takes in the enormity of the moment in which she becomes a South African ambassador and role model to young people everywhere, she will be carrying the weight of our heritage and of one of the most recognisable symbols of our country – a tree that signifies life. Mowana is the brainchild of Ursula Pule, creative director and co-founder of Nungu Diamonds, the proud sponsor of the new Miss South Africa crown. Pule, who has spent several years harnessing her skills in jewellery design, has created memorable pieces for celebrities such as Somizi Mhlongo, Connie Ferguson and Dineo Langa. She says: “My inspiration came from a safari we took in Musina in 2019; from the magnificent baobab tree, also known as the Tree of Life. As you drive into Limpopo, you see these exquisite trees – unlike any other trees – that represent our African heritage.  “The nex

House of BNG, one of South Africa's leading MCC brands, is thrilled to announce its continued partnership with the prestigious Miss South Africa pageant. The collaboration coincides with the launch of the exciting reality series "Crown Chasers," where Bonang Matheba, the owner of The House of BNG, will serve as a resident judge. The five episode show is set to premiere on SABC 3 this Sunday, the 9th of July at 4 pm. Since its inception in 2019, The House of BNG has established itself as the go-to luxury beverage brand, synonymous with elegance, sophistication, and glamour. The brand's sparkling wines have become a staple at premium lifestyle and entertainment events nationwide. Expressing her enthusiasm, Bonang Matheba, the founder and owner of House of BNG, stated,  ' The Miss South Africa pageant is one of my favorite events on the South African calendar. Any platform that supports and uplifts women in this country will always have my backing. Partnering with Mi

South Africa will soon be searching for Miss South Africa 2023 to follow in the footsteps of reigning queen Ndavi Nokeri. Entries for Miss South Africa 2023 will open today Monday, March 13, at 15h00 with several exciting new additions to this year’s competition being announced at the same time.   Says Stephanie Weil, CEO of the Miss South Africa Organisation: “ We have become known on the global scene as ‘pageant disruptors’. We constantly strive to keep the competition relevant and fresh and we believe our fans are going to be delighted and excited with what we’ve come up this year.   “While we are ensuring the Miss South Africa campaign loses none of the attributes fans and followers have come to love, we’ve also challenged ourselves to think bigger and better to make certain the Miss South Africa competition grows and evolves and retains relevance and interest in an ever changing world.   “I like to think of it as ‘pageantry revolutionised’,” adds Weil, “so be sure you don’t miss M

It has been an exciting few days for Miss South Africa 2022 runner-up Ayanda Thabethe. The Miss SA organisation announced that the 23-year-old will be representing this country as Miss Supranational South Africa at the pageant to be held in Poland on July 14; this in the same week that she launches her advocacy campaign Project Khulisa. The latter aims to   help communities struggling with food insecurity, while also opening critical discussions around nutrition and the country’s   double burden of malnutrition and obesity.   Thabethe is delighted to be the South African representative at Miss Supranational: “I have some big shoes to fill. Miss South Africa 2021 Lalela Mswane is the reigning Miss Supranational and she in turn took the crown from Miss Namibia Chanique Rabe. I am looking forward to this next step in my journey. However, just as important to me, is the launch of Project Khulisa which I hope will make a difference in communities who need it most.”   Thabethe has always bee

Miss South Africa will not only be representing her own country when she takes part in the Miss Universe competition, but also paying homage to the rise of Africa as the continent continues to influence global pop culture. Reigning title holder Ndavi Nokeri this week revealed both a farewell gown and her national costume that she will wear at the 71st Miss Universe pageant, which takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the US on January 14, 2023.   The reveal took place at The Maslow Hotel Sandton and was emceed by Miss South Africa 2019 and Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi and featured praise singer Masingita Shimbambu. Nokeri’s extended family were all in attendance including her father Moses and her mother Betty, her brothers Ntwanano and Nyiko and her sisters Fanisa, Cindy, Molcy and Vutchilo.   Explained the Miss South Africa Organisation’s creative director Werner Wessels: “The national costume is of critical importance when it comes to showcasing the country of the pageant co

Some of South Africa’s top musical talents are set to perform in what promises to be a dazzling Miss South Africa 2022 finale, which will take place on Saturday, August 13, at Sun International’s flagship venue, the SunBet Arena, Time Square, Pretoria. The artists – all industry heavyweights – are chart-topping rappers Boity and Rouge; R&B hit makers Elaine and Heavy K; Lloyiso who last year made his international debut with the single Seasons which had 16 million streams; African queen Makhadzi who was the most streamed female artist on Apple Music for 2021; hip-hop performer Nadia Nakai, star the Netflix reality show Young, Famous & African; Ndoni whose debut EP is scheduled for release later this year and rapper Rouge. Says Relebogile Mabotja, Black Swan Media Executive Producer and Miss South Africa 2022 live pageant producer: “We are very excited about the entertainment lined up for this year’s Miss South Africa finale. We really wanted to present something new, something

One of South Africa’s best-loved radio and television personalities, Anele Mdoda, is set to host this year’s Miss South Africa finale pageant which takes place on Saturday, August 13. Mdoda has been associated with Miss South Africa since 2013, five times as a judge and last year as a co-host alongside Survivor SA presenter Nick Panagio. This year, Mdoda is hosting the show on her own, a role she doesn’t take lightly. “I'm very excited that we are back to a full capacity arena, because a packed arena suits my energy levels and always motivates me to work just that little bit harder to ensure that everyone has a good time and really enjoys the evening.” Mdoda’s advice to this year’s top 10 finalists is for them to have fun and “be in the moment.” She adds: “They should not worry about what they think they look like or whether they answered a question correctly or if something happens to their hair or their dress when they’re on stage. No one cares. If they are having a go

The pageant took place last night at the Strzelecki Park Amphitheatre in Nowy Sącz, Poland, where Chanique Rabe of Namibia crowned her successor at the end of the event. Twenty-four-year-old Mswane – who comes from KwaSokhulu in Richards Bay – represented South Africa against contestants from 69 other countries. Mswane was one of the front runners throughout the build-up to the finale, wowing the judges in the national costume competition which paid tribute to her Zulu heritage and was designed by Cape Town based Lloyd Kandlin, the director of the Costume Department.   The show was streamed live on YouTube.  Said Mswane after the pageant: “I am overwhelmed; at the moment it still feels surreal. I am deeply thankful to all the amazing people who have supported and uplifted me, I couldn’t have done it without them. I want to thank the organisers of Miss Supranational, the Polish people, all my fellow contestants, the Miss South Africa Organisation and my South African fans. This title is

  Johannesburg, Monday, June 13:  This year’s Top 10 Miss South Africa 2022 finalists have been announced. They are Anarzade Omar, Ayanda Thabethe, Itumeleng Parage, Keaoleboga Nkashe,  Lebogang Mahlangu, Luvé Meyer, Luyanda Zuma, Ndavi Nokeri, Pearl Ntshehi and Tamsyn Jack.   The contestants represent five provinces – Gauteng has four (two from Tshwane and one each from Soweto and Crown Gardens), KZN and Western Province each have two with Limpopo and North West with one finalist each. They are an impressive group and include a candidate attorney; students studying law, performing arts and dietetics; a psychology honours graduate; entrepreneurs and small business owners and models.   The winner of the People’s Vote was Limpopo’s Ndavi Nokeri who works in asset management.   Anarzade Omar  (23) is from Crown Gardens, Johannesburg, Gauteng. She has a BA in Strategic Communication in Marketing from the University of Johannesburg and works as a social media manager at a digital marketing

The Miss South Africa pageant proudly returns to Gauteng, with the 2022 winner set to be crowned at  Sun International ’s flagship venue, the SunBet Arena at Time Square, Pretoria. The last Miss South Africa to take the title at this venue was Zozibini Tunzi in 2019 who went on to win Miss Universe later that year. Miss South Africa 2022 pageant promises to be a spectacular and entertainment-packed show and will fittingly take place during Women’s Month, on Saturday, August 13. As in previous years, it will also be broadcast live on M-Net and Mzansi Magic and streamed for an international audience on the Miss South Africa app.   The Top 10 women going through to the finals will be announced on June 13 via the Miss South Africa App, which can be downloaded for free from the  Apple App Store  or  Google Play store . Viewers will now have access to experience each Top 30 contestants final interview as well as watch the live announcement of the Top 10.   Says CEO of the Miss South Africa O