Miss South Africa 2020 goes virtual

While South Africa remains in lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19, the Miss South Africa pageant, presented by Weil Entertainment in association with Sun International, is “strutting ahead” with a virtual selection process to find the next Miss South Africa.

“Last year, the Miss South Africa Organisation put the entry process online to make it as easy as possible for would-be contestants, as there were no forms to download and no regional auditions to which hopefuls had to travel,”

– says Stephanie Weil, CEO of Miss South Africa.

“We did this in order to reach as many young women as possible and give candidates from any region of the country the opportunity to take part… in this time of Covid-19 and the lockdown, this ‘virtual entry’ has proved to be fortuitous.”

To enter, hopefuls can visit the Miss South Africa website, to complete a questionnaire and upload photographs from their Instagram, Facebook or Twitter profiles. Entries will close at midnight on 31 May 2020.

Judging will take place online before the finalists are revealed at the finale in August. “As always, the final show will feature a number of top South African entertainment acts and designers and will be broadcast live on M-Net and Mzansi Magic. The only difference is that there won’t be a live audience but rather millions watching from the comfort of their own homes,” says Weil.

The next Miss South Africa has big heels to fill. Miss South Africa 2019 Zozobini Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe in December last year, while Miss South Africa 2018 Tamaryn Green was runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant the previous year, and Demi-Leigh Tebow (née Nel-Peters) was named Miss Universe in 2017. South Africa’s Rolene Strauss was crowned Miss World in 2014.

Zozi – as Zozibini is affectionately known – is the face of the Miss South Africa 2020 campaign and encourages young women to enter. “It is one of the most exciting things I have ever done, and it has totally transformed my life. It is the ultimate in female empowerment.”

A long association

Sun International acquired full ownership of Miss South Africa in 2000 and went on to host its 10th pageant at Sun City Resort. After almost 30 years at Sun City, the pageant moved to Sun International’s newest event venue in Pretoria, Time Square Sun Arena in 2018. In 2019, Sun International sold the rights to the pageant to Weil Entertainment but remains a sponsor.