Basetsana Khumalo to judge Miss SA

Basetsana Khumalo will be judging the Miss South Africa 2016 pageant. The former Miss South Africa and joins former magazine editor Kojo Baffoe, actress and TV personality Sophie Ndaba and Bloemfontein designer Casper Bosman. Also back is magazine editor and style icon Pnina Fenster who judged the competition in 2014 when Rolene Strauss, who went on to become Miss World, took the Miss South Africa crown.

“Miss South Africa is an incredible platform for any young woman and can change her career path,” Khumalo says in a statement. “I am living testament of that and will be bringing my personal experience of what it is like to be on that stage, nerves and all! Miss South Africa is not just about strutting your stuff on stage for the night and then doing nothing beyond that. As a television producer for the past 22 years, I have a sense of what makes for great talent. It’s not just about the aesthetics but rather about intelligence, a sense of purpose, a good work ethic, a drive and a vision that extends beyond the year of her reign.”

Speaking on what she is looking for in the new Miss South Africa, Khumalo says: “We live in a country with many challenges and opportunities. I will be looking for someone who understands that narrative and can use their role as an ambassador of a nation that is 22 years into its democracy to inspire a new generation.”