Schané Venter is among Top 12 Miss SA finalists
Alberton’s Schané Venter has made it to the Top 12 Miss SA Finalist and will be competing with other 11 hopefuls from across the country.
The 12 Miss South Africa finalists who will be doing battle to be crowned Miss South Africa 2016 have been announced.
The Miss South Africa pageant, presented by Sun International in collaboration with Cell C, takes place at Carnival City on Saturday, March 19 next year.
The top 12 come from around the country: Gauteng has five finalists; Mpumalanga and the Eastern and Western Cape all have two entrants while the Free State has one contestant.
They are: Elizabeth Molapo (Bloemfontein, Free State); Felicia Muwayi (Nelspruit, Mpumalanga); Luyolo Mngonyama (Umtata, Eastern Cape); Marciel Hopkins (Paarl, Western Cape); Mikaela Oosthuizen (Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape); Ntandoyenkosi Kunene (Mkhondo, Mpumalanga); Reabetswe Sechoaro (Pretoria East, Gauteng); Ronette Chambers (Cape Town, Western Cape); Sarah Botes (Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng); Schané Venter (Alberton, Gauteng); Sharon-Rose Khumalo (Pretoria, Gauteng) and Tayla Skye Robinson (Roodepoort, Gauteng).
Says Sun International PR Manager Claudia Henkel; “We are absolutely delighted with the finalists. The young women who have been selected depict everything that we hope the pageant represents; intelligence, integrity and beauty.”
Suzette van der Merwe, Managing Executive for Cell C says: “The Miss South Africa pageant provides a prestigious, respected and well-meaning platform for dynamic, talented young women to discover their strengths, boost their confidence and propel their lives forward.
“It provides life changing experiences for the participants and for the winner an opportunity to inspire and make a real difference. As such it is perfectly aligned with Cell C’s strategy to empower women.”
The names of those competing to take the Miss South Africa title next year were announced at an event held also to bid farewell to reigning Miss South Africa Liesl Laurie and this year’s First Princess Refilwe Mthimunye, both of whom leave shortly to compete in the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants respectively.
Miss World takes place in China on December 19 and Miss Universe a day later in the US on December 20. The decision was made that Laurie, as the reigning Miss South Africa, will attend the Miss World pageant due to the fact that Miss South Africa 2014 Rolene Strauss is currently the reigning Miss World.
Laurie and Mthimunye revealed the outfits and national costumes they will be wearing at the two prestigious events – Laurie’s designed by Casper Bosman and Mthimunye’s by Anel Botha.
Liesl Laurie gave advice to the Top 12 finalists, one of whom will be succeeding her next year as Miss South Africa: “Being a part of the journey to Miss South Africa is an experience designed to grow and prepare you for the rest of your life. This the most important job interview of your life.
“However, it is not all about winning; you will still be richer thanks to the experience. Enjoy every second of this magical journey and always be kind to everyone around you. Remember that no beauty shines brighter than that of a beautiful heart!”
Mthimunye’s also had words of wisdom: “If you know what you are about and you are clear about what you want to achieve, focus on that while being the best you can be.
“Being selected as part of the 2016 Top 12 is already a great achievement; if you remember this, the journey will be an incredible one.”
The 2016 Miss South Africa pageant takes place at Carnival City on Saturday, March 19. It will be broadcast live on M-Net and Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) live from 18:30 to 20:00. The venue has moved from Sun City to Carnival City next year as the Entertainment Centre at Sun City will be closed for refurbishments.
