Miss South Africa 2020 top 15 revealed

Shaking things up for this year’s pageant, Miss South Africa has announced its top-15 contestants for 2020.

The contestants represent seven provinces. Gauteng has six semi-finalists (with three from Tshwane and one from Soweto), followed by the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape with two each, while the Free State, Limpopo, and North West each have one entrant.

The group was introduced to reigning Miss South Africa, Sasha-Lee Olivier, in a virtual public reveal.

The public now has the chance to vote to ensure that their favourite contestant progresses to the finale, which is scheduled to take place later this year.

From 35 t0 15, these are the potential beauties who could take the crown this year.

Anazarde Omar (21) Voting number: 1

Top 15 contestant Anazarde Omar. Photo: Supplied

Omar is from Crown Gardens in Johannesburg, has a BA Strategic Communication in Marketing from the University of Johannesburg. She enjoys cooking and recently taught herself how to make sushi because her cravings got real during lockdown. She said: “It is an absolute honour to be a part of the top 15 for Miss South Africa 2020 and be amongst a beautiful and strong group of ladies.

Aphelele Mbiyo (24) Voting number: 2

Aphelele Mbiyo. Photo: Supplied

Born in Mthata and raised in Port Elizabeth but currently lives in Lonehill, Johannesburg. She holds a BA
in Integrated Marketing Communications and describes herself as calm, positive, and ambitious.

Mbiyo said: “I feel incredibly honoured to be a part of the top 15 for Miss South Africa. I am grateful to have been selected from more than 2 000 entrants for the top 35 and thrilled to make further progress.”

Busisiwe Mmotla (27) Voting number: 3

Busisiwe Mmotla. Photo: Suppiled

Mmotla is from Soweto and is a senior FET phase teacher who graduated from the University of Johannesburg in
2017 with a Bachelor of Education degree. Currently studying towards a diploma in personal training at Trifocus Fitness Academy with the goal of becoming a wellness coach. She was previously crowned Miss Soweto in 2017 and won USN Face of Fitness 2019.

Chantelle Pretorius (24) Voting number: 4

Chantelle Pretorius. Photo: Supplied

From Tshwane, Gauteng, is a full-time model and spends six to nine months a year working in Europe. Completing her B.Com Business Management degree through Unisa and completed a diploma in nutrition at The Blackford Centre in the UK.  Pretorius is thrilled about making the top 15: “I am extremely excited and overwhelmed that I get to continue with the Miss South Africa journey and cannot wait to share my heart with the country!”

Jordan van der Vyver (24) Voting number: 5

Jordan van der Vyver. Photo: Supplied

Originally from Green Point in Cape Town and is an international model who usually spends half the year
working in the US.  She says she is inspired by her mother who is currently finishing her honours in psychology and has an older sister. Her role model is the late Audrey Hepburn and it was because of meeting Jo-Ann Strauss that she entered the pageant.

Karishma Ramdev (25) Voting number: 6

Karishma Ramdev. Photo; Supplied

From Chatsworth in KwaZulu Natal, currently residing in Johannesburg, she is a qualified medical doctor
working at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital. If she wins Miss SA, she says she would like to meet Queen Elizabeth II so that she could ask her advice on how to keep shining.

She said: “Each girl has such amazing qualities and I am so happy to stand beside all of them representing strong women in South Africa; women who are ready to make a difference.”

Lebogang Mahlangu (24) Voting number: 7

Lebogang Mahlangu. Photo: Supplied

From Soshanguve, Gauteng, is a food scientist working in research and development for a large multinational. She is also a social entrepreneur and owns a community bakery in Soshanguve. She loves the feeling of adrenalin and
adventure and enjoys exploring new hiking routes, running, and exercising. She was once an aspiring professional soccer player, represented Gauteng, and went to a sports school in hopes of playing for Banyana Banyana.

Matsepo Sithole (21) Voting number: 8

Matsepo Sithole. Photo: Supplied

Sithole is from Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu- Natal, and is a full-time fourth-year law student at the University of Pretoria. Her goal in getting her degree is transformation and justice in South Africa.  She said: “I feel powerful because I have been given the opportunity to be a mouthpiece for the creative industry. Moreover, excited and thankful for such an amazing achievement.”

Melissa Nayimuli (24), voting number: 9

Melissa Nayimuli. Photo: Supplied

From Butterworth in the Eastern Cape now lives in Sunninghill, Joburg where she works as an account manager
for a marketing agency. She has a BA in Motion Picture Medium from AFDA and majored in television writing. Her role models are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Ava DuVerney, who have both been game-changers in their fields.

Natasha Joubert (22), voting number: 10

Natasha Joubert. Photo: Supplied

From Centurion, Tshwane, is a public relations officer at RFJ Inc. Attorneys and founder and owner
of Natalia Jefferys (Pty) Ltd. She has a B.Com Marketing Management Graduate from Boston City Campus. She says she was a tomboy as a little girl and would much rather play outside with boys and was the only girl in her karate class. Describing herself as unwavering, compassionate, and ambitious and says her guilty pleasure is salted
caramel Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

Olin-Shae De La Cruz (26) Voting number: 11

Olin Sha De La Cruz. Photo: Supplied

From Bryanston, Gauteng and is in her final year of a bachelor’s degree in business administration in
media operations management at Boston Media House. She co-founded her own marketing company called Swish EP, works as an account manager for a media and advertising company. She is a netball coach on weekends with ActionKidzSA, and is also a model represented by Pace Model Management. Her celebrity crush is Ricky Whittle.

Palesa Keswa (23) Voting number: 12

Palesa Keswa. Photo: Supplied

Keswa is from Sasolburg in the Free State and has an undergraduate degree in economics and risk management. She is currently doing her honours in economics at North West University. She has spent lockdown conducting research for her dissertation, attending online classes and completing assignments.

She would  love to meet Siya Kholisi, loves lamb chops and mash, and currently crushing on Maps Maponyane and Michael B Jordan.

Savannah Schutzler (24) voting number: 13

Savannah Schutzler. Photo: Supplied

Born and raised in Rondebosch in the Western Cape, is an actress who graduated with a BA degree in drama and theatre studies from Stellenbosch University. She then went to AFDA and graduated with honours in live performance. She has also completed a diploma in media makeup and styling. Her family lives in Swaziland and
she has one brother. She is an accomplished equestrian who doesn’t have a coccyx following a horse-riding accident.

Shudufhadzo Musida (23) Voting number: 14

Shudufhadzo Musida. Photo: Supplied

From Ha-Masia in Limpopo and has a bachelor of social sciences in philosophy, politics, and economics from the University of Pretoria. She is currently doing a BA Honours in International Relations at the University of Witwatersrand. Musida says her role models include Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Toni Morrison, Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Gcuka and Amina J. Mohammed. Her hobbies include reading, singing, and practicing the keyboard.

Thato Mosehle (25) Voting number: 15

Thato Mosehle. Photo: Supplied

From Klerksdorp in the North West is a medical doctor currently completing her internship with the aim of becoming
an anaesthesiologist. She has won numerous pageants which she started entering after a knee injury halted her ambition to be a Protea netball player.

She said: “What an honour. I’m overwhelmed with joy! I had already made my community proud by being part of
the top 35, and now to be a top-15 semi-finalist is amazing!  I’m here because it’s simply my time.”

Stephanie Weil, CEO of the Miss South Africa organisation added: “We were delighted with the calibre of entries and the judges – broadcaster Anele Mdoda and former Miss South Africa title holders Bokang Montjane-Tshabalala, Liesl Laurie and Adè van Heerden – had an incredibly tough job.

“This Top 15 is an impressive group and I think South Africa is going to fall in love with them.”

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