The Miss South Africa semi-finalists were revealed in all their glory today by Sun International as were the star-studded panel of judges for the new look 2014 Miss South Africa competition.
It was also announced that Cell C is the new headline sponsor of The Miss South Africa pageant in line with their Believe Manifesto and on-going strategy to empower women.
The 33 Miss SA semi-finalists who will be vying for the 2014 crown come from around the country – Gauteng has 12 contenders followed by the Western Cape with nine; Kwa-Zulu Natal with five and the Free State and Mpumalanga with two. The Eastern Cape, Limpopo and North West each have one entrant.
They will be out to impress the 2014 judges: radio and TV personality Anele Mdoda who returns for a second time as judge; international DJ and recording artist Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumelo who is better known to his fans as Black Coffee and magazine editor and style icon Pnina Fenster.
Regarded as leaders and trend-setters in their respective fields, they will be judging contestants on intelligence, leadership, talent, physical fitness and a dedication to community service.
They have already started evaluating the contestants in the run-up to the finals at Sun City on March 30, 2014 where Miss South Africa 2014 will be crowned.
The 12 finalists will be revealed on Sunday, February 2, on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) as part of the Miss South Africa reality show which debuts on the channel on January 26, 2014.
Pnina Fenster is delighted in her new role: “It's an honour to be involved in an event that has such a long and illustrious history - the Miss South Africa pageant has inspired and delighted South Africans for decades and it continues to do so. It's glamorous, it's stylish, it involves meaningful charity work and it's fun. What's not to love about that?
“Beauty has, and will always be, something to which we aspire, a quality that intrigues and inspires. And if ever there was a time when celebrity could be put to good use, it's this one - as socially-conscious stars like Angelina Jolie, Don Cheadle and Matt Damon prove. In that respect, the Miss South Africa pageant can actually be even more relevant than ever, combining star power, charity drives and social media. The process of judging has been wonderful and it's been an honour, too, to judge alongside two extraordinary, bright and entertaining stars! The calibre of the semi-finalists is impressive and it will be tough to narrow them down to a field of 12.”
Suzette van der Merwe, Executive: Commercial Communications for Cell C and the 1990 Miss South Africa explained why Cell C decided to come on board as a headline sponsor: “Sun International has repositioned the Miss SA brand to make it more relevant in today’s society and aligns with Cell C’s strategy to empower women. Like Sun International and the Miss SA brand, Cell C’s goal is to support bold, confident and beautiful young women who have the power to inspire a nation and make a difference.
“Traditionally Miss SA is a Believe story – a little girl who grew up with a dream of being a princess. And when she is all grown up and pursues and realises her dream she has a platform to inspire, influence, lead by example, follow her dream, make a difference, make someone’s day, or change someone’s world for the better – and she inspires others to believe too!”
Says Alison McKie of Sun International, long-time licence holders of the annual competition: “Our aim is to take the Miss South Africa pageant to new heights and we believe that we are well on our way to achieving this. We are delighted that Cell C is sponsoring the 2014 competition as we all have the same vision when it comes to helping young women fulfil their dreams. We also believe that our judges will bring something new to the competition, thanks to their wide-ranging experience and expertise.”
The changes to the Miss South Africa Pageant are all part of a concerted drive by Sun International to grow the Miss South Africa brand and make it relevant for today’s young generation. Part of the extensive revamp is that the new Miss South Africa will be crowned in March 2014, instead of December, which means that unlike previous years, she will get to reign in the year of her appointment.
THE MISS SA SEMI FINALISTS
Ziphozakhe Zokufa 22 Eastern Cape
Dipalesa Mbola 22 Free State
Rolene Strauss 21 Free State
Callan Corner 20 Gauteng
Caylene Marais 23 Gauteng
Hape Moloi 21 Gauteng
Jenna Braham 21 Gauteng
Matlala Mokoko 23 Gauteng
Nkhensi Vukela 22 Gauteng
Ntsiki Mkhize 22 Gauteng
Sarah Botes 21 Gauteng
Tayla Skye Robinson 21 Gauteng
Thabang Ganyane 19 Gauteng
Tidimalo Sehlako 22 Gauteng
Tshegofatso Monggae 20 Gauteng
Delisha Leigh-Ann Chetty 22 KwaZulu-Natal
Julia Petersen 22 KwaZulu-Natal
Nomhle Mtshali 23 KwaZulu-Natal
Sihle Makhanya 22 KwaZulu-Natal
Ziyanda Msomi 22 KwaZulu-Natal
Sheila Mmutle 23 Limpopo
Ntandayenkosi Kunene 21 Mpumalanga
Ilze Saunders 23 North West Province
Abigail de Jager 19 Mpumalanga
Alyssa Arendse 22 Western Cape
Anzél Stofberg 22 Western Cape
Ashleigh Burton 23 Western Cape
Jade Hubner 21 Western Cape
Meighnon Loriston 19 Western Cape
Mishka Patel 21 Western Cape
Nelisiwe Galada 23 Western Cape
Taryn Esterhuizen 23 Western Cape
Vuyolwetu Mgwelo 22 Western Cape
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