Meet the Miss SA 2020 top 10 finalists

The top 10 finalists who will compete for the Miss SA 2020 title have officially been revealed.

The announcement was made during a live online event that was hosted by Liezl Laurie, who was crowned Miss South Africa in 2015.

Reigning Miss South Africa Sasha-Lee Olivier will pass on the crown to this year’s winner

The event will be broadcast live on 24 October at 5pm on M-Net and Mzanzi Magic (DStv channel 161).

Below is a full list of the finalists:

1. Aphelele Mbiyo

The 24-year-old was 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.

She loves to host dinner parties as she enjoys bringing people together over good food. She says people would be surprised to hear that she plays the trombone.

Aphelele says the highlight for her thus far has been meeting everyone along her journey, having real conversations with people and seeing them in person, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

She wants to win Miss SA because she says it gives her an opportunity to help and inspire other girls like her who may feel lost in the world like she did when she was younger.

2. Busisiwe Mmotla

The 27-year-old hails from Soweto and is a Senior and FET Phase teacher who graduated from the University of Johannesburg in 2017 with a Bachelor of Education degree.

She is 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.

Her favourite meal is spaghetti bolognese and her dream destination is Paris, France.

Busisiwe says she is the shortest contestant, possibly in the history of the pageant.

“I get to be a great representation to other women and inspire them to embrace who they are.”

3. Chantelle Pretorius

The 24-year-old from Tshwane, Gauteng, is a full-time model and spends six to nine months a year working in Europe. She is also finishing her BCom Business Management degree through Unisa and completed a diploma in nutrition at The Blackford Centre in the UK.

If she won the Miss South Africa crown and was able to meet one person it would be Nataniël because of his sense of humour, his cooking and the way he is always unapologetically himself.

Chantelle has cited Rolene Strauss as her favourite Miss SA and hopes to follow in her footsteps.

“She has inspired me so much and influenced so many young girls to stay true to themselves and embrace their beauty.

“I would love to encourage and motivate women to do the same, and spread love and light.”

4. Jordan van der Vyver

The 24-year-old comes from Greenpoint in Cape Town and is an international model who usually spends half the year working in the US. The lockdown has taught her to appreciate the meaningful things in life.

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.

Jordan says her most memorable moment of the competition was meeting the rest of the contestants and walking into a room full of beautiful smiling faces.

“I remember the camaraderie and congratulations so that’s why I was just blown away by that experience.”

5. Karishma Ramdev

The 25-year-old comes from Chatsworth in KwaZulu-Natal but lives in Johannesburg where she is a qualified medical doctor working at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital.

She says she is blessed to have had her family as her support structure during this time as working on the frontline has been stressful “as we are one of the main Covid hospitals dealing with the coronavirus”.

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 her crown shiny.

On the legacy she wants to leave behind, Karishma said: “I want people to look at me and say she made a difference in our country. I want to teach women around the country safe hygiene and health practices.”

6. Lebogang Mahlangu

The 24-year-old from Soshanguve, Gauteng, is a food scientist working in research and development for a large multi-national. 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 says people would be surprised to learn that she was once an aspiring professional soccer player, represented Gauteng and went to a sports school in hopes of playing for Banyana Banyana.

Lebogang says it has been interesting to see how people think she’s calm and reserved but she’s actually quite wild.

She believes that Miss SA should be relatable and passionate about the country, especially its young people and women.

7. Melissa Nayimuli

The 24-year-old 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, because “she is not afraid to speak the truth no matter the cost” and Ava DuVerney “whose commitment to writing stories that challenge the way one sees the world and thinks is inspiring”.

This is her third time entering the pageant, but her first time making it through any round.

Melissa says that as a child she struggled with her cultural identity because she was born to a Xhosa mother and Ugandan father.

8. Natasha Joubert

The 22-year-old from Centurion, Tshwane, Gauteng is a Public Relations Officer at RFJ Inc. Attorneys and founder and owner of Natalia Jefferys (Pty) Ltd. She has a BCom 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.

She describes herself as unwavering, compassionate and ambitious and says her guilty pleasure is salted caramel Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

If she could be on the cover of any magazine, Natasha said it would be any South African brand, plus “Vogue would be nice”.

9. Shudufhadzo Musida

The 23-year-old from Ha-Masia in Limpopo 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.

In her spare time, she reads, sings and practices the keyboard.

10. Thato Mosehle

The 25-year-old from Klerksdorp in the North West is a medical doctor currently completing her internship with the aim of becoming an anesthesiologist.

She has won numerous pageants which she started entering after a knee injury halted her ambition to be a Protea netball player.

She loves burgers, enjoys knitting scarves, trying new recipes, watching makeup tutorials and perfecting her makeup skills on herself and friends.

If she could visit any place right now, Thato would choose her late grandmother’s house in Rustenburg.

“I love it because the yard is so huge, you can’t see other people around – it’s so peaceful.”

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