The Miss South Africa pageant is putting on a whole new sash and making history at the same time.
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South Africa is the first country in the world to announce how it will hold its annual pageant amid the Covid-19 pandemic and find its new titleholder.
This pageant is 62 years old.
Miss South Africa 2020 will be crowned on the first weekend of August as the country starts its Women’s Month celebrations with an entertainment-packed pageant which will be broadcast live on both M-Net and Mzansi Magic.
Entries for this year’s competition opened online on the Miss South Africa website today.
“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.
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“We did this to reach as many young women as possible and give candidates from any region of the country the opportunity to take part.
“This was hugely successful and we received a record number of entries last year and expect to better this again in 2020.
“In this time of Covid-19 and the lockdown, this ‘virtual entry’ has proved to be fortuitous.
“Those who wish to enter this year can simply visit www.misssa.co.za, answer some questions, and upload photographs from their social media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
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“It’s as simple as that,” said Stephanie Weil, chief executive officer of the Miss South Africa Organisation.
“The competition will continue despite everyone being on lockdown.
“We will select semi-finalists from all the entries we receive, and this will be followed by the judging, which will be done online.
“We will then reveal our finalists for the finale in August.
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“As always, the final show will feature some 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.”
“This year we are looking forward to finding dynamic new contestants who will not only be trained as pageant contestants, but also upskilled and shaped into champions for women’s rights, thought leaders, brand ambassadors and savvy career women with the tools to fulfil their chosen destiny.”
Zozibini Tunzi, who handed over the 2019 Miss South Africa title to Sasha-Lee Olivier when she was crowned Miss Universe in December, last year, encouraged young women to enter.
“It is one of the most exciting things I have ever done and it has transformed my life.
“It is the ultimate in female empowerment,” she said.
Entries for this year’s competition close on May 31.
To enter, go to www.misssa.co.za and click on the tab ‘Miss South SA 2020’ and then ‘enter now’.
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