‘It definitely hasn’t sunk in, in any way,’ says new Miss SA Natasha Joubert

It’s been a hectic past few hours for newly crowned Miss SA Natasha Joubert only getting about two hours of sleep since winning the national pageant last night at SunBet Arena in Pretoria.

“I think I woke up at 4:30. I think I slept approximately two and a half hours last night. It’s a very surreal feeling, it definitely hasn’t sunk in, in any way. We are busy getting ready because I have a full day of interviews, I don’t even know how the schedule looks like,” said Joubert in a video.

The 25-year-old BCom Marketing Management graduate was trying her luck for a second time at Miss SA after competing for the crown in 2020. She was a runner-up that year and also represented South Africa at Miss Universe the following year.

“We’re not happy with the results! Firstly, how do you allow a person who once was in the top 3 to come back and contest? She already had benefitted a lot from being in the top 3. This should be made to give others an opportunity too. We can’t be having same people over and over again,” said @nomvuyo_ndlazi on Twitter about Joubert’s return.

Joubert beat her six fellow finalists Anke Rothmann, Bryoni Govender, Homba Mazaleni, Jordan van der Vyver, Melissa Nayimuli and Nande Mabala.

In 2016 Joubert won the Miss Globe South Africa 2016 in Albania for the Miss Globe 2016 pageant where she placed in the top 5.

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Reactions

While most have congratulated Joubert’s win, some on social media have expressed their disappointment. The five judges on the night, which included actress Thuso Mbedu and journalist Devi Sankaree Govender were also criticised by a number of people watching the show, even suggesting that the pageant should be open to public votes.

“You weaken the competition for Natasha, how did that indian lady even get to the top 3? How will social grants solve inequality? Heeeh heeeh,” wrote @FluerDeCap on Twitter.

Joubert is the first Miss SA to wear the brand-new crown ‘Mowana, the Tree of Life,’ designed by the dynamic duo behind Nungu Diamonds, Ursula Pule, and her husband, Kealeboga Pule.

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