Cape Town will play host to the Miss South Africa finale for the first time in the history of the pageant.
Miss South Africa 2020 will be crowned at a spectacular and entertainment-packed event – which takes place on Saturday, October 24 – and which will be screened live on M-Net and Mzansi Magic and streamed for an international audience.
“The City of Cape Town is pleased to partner with the Miss South Africa Organisation to bring the pageant to Cape Town. This is an iconic South African event which has, over the years, made the dreams of many young women a reality and elevated their status as change makers in society,” says Cape Town Executive Mayor Dan Plato.
“We are aware this is happening while the entire world is still reeling from an unprecedented pandemic, but we believe proceeding with events such as Miss South Africa, will provide hope and shine a light on our country’s beauty and female leaders during this period. We look forward to welcoming all the participants, officials and performers to our city for what is to be one of Cape Town’s first major hybrid productions,” added Mayor Plato.
CEO of the Miss South Africa Organisation, Stephanie Weil, echoed his sentiments: “We are delighted that Miss South Africa will come to the homes of thousands of South Africans, as well as people from around the world, from Cape Town. The city is the 11th contestant this year. We will be announcing the venue in the Mother City at a later date.”
South Africa is now regarded as one of the leading pageant countries in the world – Rolene Strauss, 2014 (voted Miss World); Liesl Laurie, 2015 (Miss World Top 10 and Continental Queen of Africa); Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, 2017 (Miss Universe winner) Adé van Heerden, 2017 (Miss World Top 10); Tamaryn Green, 2018 (Miss Universe first princess and Zozibini Tunzi, 2019 (Miss Universe winner).
Continues Weil: “Our success on the international stage means that there is a huge interest globally in the South African pageant.”
For the first time in the history of the Miss South Africa pageant, the contestants who make the Top 3 will represent the country at the world’s three most prestigious pageants. Previously, the Miss South Africa Organisation sent a representative to both Miss Universe and Miss World, but will also now be fielding a candidate at Miss Supranational.
The 10 finalists, vying for the Top 3 places and the ultimate prize of Miss South Africa 2020, are (in alphabetical order of their first names):
- Aphelele Mbiyo (24) who was born in Mthata and raised in Port Elizabeth but currently lives in Johannesburg, holds a BA in Integrated Marketing Communications.
- Busisiwe Mmotla (27) is from Soweto and is a Senior & FET Phase teacher who graduated from the University of Johannesburg and is currently studying for a diploma in personal training.
- Chantelle Pretorius (24) from Tshwane, Gauteng, a full-time international model who is also finishing her B.Com Business Management degree through Unisa and has a diploma in nutrition.
- Jordan van der Vyver (24) comes from Greenpoint, Cape Town, and is an international model who usually spends half the year working overseas.
- Karishma Ramdev (25) who hails from Chatsworth in KwaZulu Natal, is now based in Joburg working as a medical doctor at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital.
- Lebogang Mahlangu (24) from Soshanguve, Gauteng, is a food scientist working in research and development for a large multi-national.
- Melissa Nayimuli (24) is from Butterworth in the Eastern Cape but now lives in Sunninghill, Johannesburg where she works as an account manager for a marketing agency.
- Natasha Joubert (23) who is from Centurion, Tshwane, has a B.Com in Marketing Management and works in PR at a firm of attorneys.
- Shudufhadzo Musida (24) comes from Ha-Masia in Limpopo and has a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Pretoria. She is currently doing her BA Honours in International Relations at the University of Witwatersrand.
- Thato Mosehle (25) hails from Klerksdorp in the North West and is a medical doctor currently completing her internship with the aim of becoming an anaesthesiologist.
Miss South Africa is presented by Weil Entertainment in association with M-Net, Mzansi Magic, Sun International and Brand South Africa.