Tsonga by birth, African at heart: Miss SA’s national costume explained

In a month or so, South Africans will get to see the current Miss South Africa Ndavi Nokeri take to the stage to represent the country at the 2022/23 Miss Universe pageant.  

To celebrate the moment and show off the costume that she will be wearing for the “national costume” segment of the competition, the Miss South Africa organisation hosted a media event to show off some of Ndavi Nokeri’s gowns and to wish her luck. 

“Miss South Africa will not only be representing her own country when she takes part in the Miss Universe competition, but also paying homage to the rise of Africa as the continent continues to influence global pop culture,” said the pageant organisers in a statement. 

Ndavi Nokeri’s gowns

Reigning title holder Nokeri this week revealed both a farewell gown and her national costume that she will wear at the 71st Miss Universe pageant, which takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana, in America on 14 January 2023.

She stunned the audience at The Maslow Hotel in Sandton after being welcomed onto stage by the day’s MC, Miss South Africa 2019 and Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi.

The event was opened by praise singer Masingita Shimbambu. 

Nokeri’s extended family were all in attendance including her father Moses and her mother Betty, her brothers Ntwanano and Nyiko and her sisters Fanisa, Cindy, Molcy and Vutchilo.

What does Miss SA’s national costume mean?

Miss SA’s National Costume for the 2022 Miss Universe pageant consists of two parts, an inner costume made by Sello Medupe of Scalo Designs and a set of wings built by Henk Henderson of Henderson Worx.

This is not Medupe’s first time working with a Miss SA title holder as he previously designed the national costume for Thato Mosehle at Miss Supranational last year.

“The audience should expect vibrant bright colours reflective of our rainbow nation and an African goddess. I am delighted to be showcasing raw African culture in a modern way,” said Medupe of his bejewelled mini dress inspired by Xitsonga traditional attire. 

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“With the wings we wanted to showcase flight and represent something that is ascending because African women in the world are busy rising; we are seeing this in so many pop culture moments such as The Woman King and Wakanda Forever. Audiences are really taking notice of African culture – specifically focused on African women – and Ndavi is proud to represent that,” added Wessels. 

According to Wessels, the national costume is of critical importance when it comes to showcasing the country of the pageant contestant, and it is also one of the favourite events for Miss Universe fans and followers. 

“We always put a lot of effort into it because it is where we can be proudly South African and really showcase the country on an international stage.

“This year we wanted the national costume to have a distinctly African feel. We love the fact that Ndavi is proudly Tsonga. It is at the very core of who she is, and so part of the costume is inspired by her Tsonga culture and it is beautifully represented in the choice and use of fabrics.”  

Additionally, Wessels says that the Miss SA team really wanted to showcase that Ndavi is part of a greater global community and proudly African. 

“The other part of the wing features all 54 African countries to emphasise we are part of a universal network.”

Farewell gown

Her national costume was not the only thing on display as Ndavi also unveiled her farewell gown, designed by Juan Visser of Juan William Aria.

Visser is responsible for all her pageant gowns including her preliminary outfit and finale gown.

She showed off his work by slowly modelling across the stage to show off the sheer design covered in an assortment of jewels. The gown also featured beaded straps hanging over each arm and the straps moved with Nokeri as she walked and shifted into different poses.

The only thing brighter than the jewels on her dress was her smile as she beamed throughout different moments at the event. 

Visser said work on the gowns began more than two months ago.

“I knew with these gowns that I wanted to go all out as this is not only a dream come true for Ndavi but for me too. Since I was a young boy watching the Miss South Africa pageant, I knew I wanted to design clothes for the winner. To have my work showcased on the international stage is such an honour and I am delighted to be part of Ndavi’s continuing journey.

“The fabric for all three gowns was custom designed and beaded and is a process that has taken more than two months from concept to completion. Each detail was meticulously planned and selected so we could achieve the desired look and vision. Her preliminary and final gown involved seven beaders, each taking more than 160 hours to bead,” said the designer.

Wessels further explained that the gold dress with precious stones is meant to represent South Africa’s mineral wealth while making Ndavi look like the South African queen that she is without taking away from her beauty by having too much going on. 

‘Pinch me moment’

The day came to a close with a video compilation of messages of support from Ndavi’s loved ones as well as an address from Ndavi herself. 

“My Miss Universe preparations are at a peak and I can’t believe that in a month’s time I will be heading to the US to represent South Africa. It’s a real ‘pinch me moment’ and a dream come true for me,” she said.

“My national costume and gowns are spectacular and everything that I could have dreamed of to feel confident on the Miss Universe stage. I am delighted that my national costume incorporates my Tsonga culture. 

“From the very beginning of my Miss South Africa journey, I always wanted people to know that I was standing for Tsonga people because growing up as a child I felt as if we were under-represented. 

“At the same time, we’ve incorporated the fact that I’m South African and African; this is so beautiful because I’ve come to learn that as Africans we are more alike than we are different thanks to our shared experiences and values. It is a proud moment for me to make all Africans feel seen, understood and represented,” she concluded.

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