UCT Vice chancellor Professor Phakeng, Dineo Ranaka and Basetana Kumalo among the women in a star studded Miss SA 2021 judging panel. Picture: Instagram
Miss South Africa is taking centre stage and much of the attention in the next two weeks will be who will be the new pageant queen come 16 October.
The Miss SA organisation announced its all-women panel and it is a powerful selection panel. It includes former Miss Universe’s and Miss SA’s, an actor and a university chancellor.
University of Cape Town Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgheti Phakeng will be part of the judging team, the organisation said on Tuesday.
Prof Phakeng said she’s looking for “a smart young woman with a memorable presence, magnetic personality and clear vision.
“This is a lifetime opportunity for the finalists to connect and network with smart, ambitious women from all over the country,” she said.
Another notable name is Dineo Ranaka, the media personality says what she is looking from the top 10, is a woman who has authenticity, compassion and a “young woman who stands for something greater than herself; someone who has wholesome insights and opinions in regard to social issues.
From her appearance on Idols SA recently, Ranaka is expected to make a big impact and says she never expected this to happen.
Former pageant title holders Miss SA 2018, Tamaryn Green, Miss Universe 2015, Pia Wurtzbach and the legendary Miss SA 1994 Basetsana Kumalo will all be on the selection panel as well.
Kumalo says her key focus from the top 10 will be a woman with a “clear vision of her life path, understands the world we live in and has an opinion of key issues impacting society and the world at large,” she said in the statement. Green is also looking for something similar from the winner.
“Having experienced the journey myself has given me the knowledge to know what to look for in a Miss South Africa. I’m talking about looking at the finer detail and characteristics of each woman that might not always be obvious to the public.
“As a selection panel member, I’ll reflect on responsibilities I had in my year of reign and identify whether our contestants are able to tackle these responsibilities,” Green said.
Actress Shannon Esra who has acted in Gomora, The Queen and as lead on M-Net’s Lioness said she is honoured to be included in the selection panel.
“I will look for things like self-awareness, compassion, emotional intelligence. Will she be able to hold her own, walk into the centre of a bustling room, filled with people, and be able to capture people’s attention through her power and her self-confidence? She will need to be able to captivate a room the moment she opens her mouth to speak,” she said.
The new Miss South Africa will be crowned on October 16 on Mzansi Magic channel 161 and M-Net (channel 101) at 5pm. The pageant is hosted by radio and TV personalities Anele Mdoda and Nico Panagio.
Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele
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