Miss South Africa now open to married women –it is true, not a joke
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
For the longest of time married women watched their younger sisters and cousins enter for Miss South Africa with envy as the winning young women hogged the limelight and were propelled into the glamour and the glitz that comes with snatching this title.
However the young women that have always monopolised this pageant, now have to know that this year, there is no more monopoly. The Miss South African pageant has opened the door wide opened for participation by married women this year. And this is true, not a joke.
This means that the younger women now have competion from their older sisters, perhaps even their mothers who may now gun for this prestigious title that has seen those declared the winners become actually wealth –yes they become millionaires by way of the fabulous prizes at stake, including cash.
Yesterday the Miss South Africa organisers confirmed that this year the net is wide for the next Miss South Africa, including looking for the married women who they deem to be the best of them all in the country.
Hopefully their husbands will stand firmly behind their wives as they look for glory and wealth on the stages of Miss South Africa.
If a married woman is picked for the title, this means that she will spend a lot of time away from home, as she assumes the role of Miss South Africa.
It will be interesting to see how that would go down, especially because the title demands quite a lot from the winning woman by way of time, in many cases away from home and family.
Though it is not written in the book of Miss South Africa, all along the girls who were picked had to suspend their romantic ambitions and activities to fully focus on the demanding role of Miss South Africa. This becomes even more interesting when and If a married woman is picked for the role. Will she also be able to defer her family duties as she embraces this role?
Be that as it may, this year’s Miss South Africa contest promises to be one of the most fiercely fought for, and most probably the most interesting to observe for those interested in studying society and its complex dimensions.
This latest development in the Miss South Africa pageant is clearly a far departure from the tradition of the pageant, and is radical in other respects as well.
“{The nationwide search for the dynamic woman who will follow in the footsteps of the current Miss South Africa, Ndavi Nokeri, to represent her country on the international stage and become one of South Africa’s most recognisable faces and ambassadors, is now open. Entries close at 11h30 on Friday, May 5, 2023.
Married? Married with children? Engaged to be married? Divorced? No matter what an entrant’s matrimonial status is, they are now eligible to enter the Miss South Africa race to the 2023 crown. The Miss South Africa Organisation has changed the rules and made it possible for all women, straight, trans, queer, large, small, short, tall or married, and with or without children, to take part in the pageant.
The Miss South Africa competition has been through many incarnations to ensure it stays relevant, current and fresh and to make sure the Miss South Africa Organisation keeps up with the changing times<’ said the organisation.
This year the public will be entertained by the road to Miss South Africa through a new TV show that has been i9ntroduced to promote the pageant.
“Another addition this year is the inclusion of a ground-breaking seven-part TV series:
Crown Chasers is a thrilling reality show showing the Miss South Africa competition as it’s never been seen it before.
In the 7 x 60-minute series, those competing for the crown will be placed in real life Miss South Africa scenarios that include several challenges, based on the four pillars of Miss South Africa – duty, championship, empowerment and beauty. All the finalists will move into Miss South Africa HQ from where they will be given tasks that will test their ability to show off their interpretation of these four pillars. Their entrepreneurial and business skills will be put to the test; they’ll be asked to find innovative ways to encourage tourism, to show support for female-owned businesses or to showcase aspects of their culture or heritage. A challenge winner will be selected each week by a judging panel. The series will culminate with the live pageant finale where the winner will be crowned.
The Miss South Africa Organisation is known globally as a pageant disruptor, challenging old precepts, constantly shifting the goalposts and making the competition more diverse and more inclusive.”
Stephanie Weil, CEO of the Miss South Africa Organisation, says: “This year we have pushed more boundaries than ever before and we are delighted to welcome all women who are ready to step onto our leadership platform and be the next ambassador for South Africa.
“We, as women, are so many things; we can be business owners, leaders, innovators,
influencers, mothers, daughters, philanthropists, role models, ambassadors and queens all
at the same time. Showcasing the multi-diverse nature of all of this will be at the core of the
competition. Miss South Africa is no longer just a one-night pageant – viewers are really
going to get to know the finalists during the television show.”
As recently as 2019, Veronika Didusenko, 24,was banned by the Miss World Organisation because she was divorced with a five-year-old son. The striking Didusenko had won Miss Ukraine the year before and was to represent her country at Miss World.
Concludes Weil: “This is a game changer for South African women, and it’s a bonus for us as an organisation, as it means we have a much larger pool of women eligible to enter.”
The Miss South Africa Organisation continues to make the entry process as easy as possible which means there are no forms to download and no regional auditions to which hopefuls have to travel. Entrants will be required to post an introduction video on social media by using #MissSA2023 and tagging Miss South Africa and Crown Chasers on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Those who wish to enter can simply enter on the Miss SA App (under the ENTER NOW page) or visit www.misssa.co.za, answer a number of questions, upload entry pictures (one head and shoulders and one full body image) and the link to their entry video.
Those wishing to enter should watch the dedicated “How To” videos that will be released across the Miss South Africa Organisation’s official channels (websites and social media) as well as finding further details under Miss SA 2023 on the official website www.misssa.co.za.