Miss South Africa 2014 - The Final Stretch
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| South Africa's Finest |
In less than a week South Africa’s most glamorous woman will
be crowned. 12 absolutely stunning finalists are currently at Sun City
preparing for the big night. It has not been an easy road to get to the finals
as these finalists have been subjected to gruelling judging from 3 very famous
judges. Anele Mdoda, DJ Black Coffee and Pnins Fenster sifted through thousands
of entries to give us these 12 finalists. The girls are indeed the finest of
the country’s crop. They come from all over the breadth and length of our
rainbow nation. Not only are they easy on the eye, but they are also
accomplished .These judges were so on point with the judging thus giving us
what many consider the best Miss South Africa line up in a long time. This year
was not without some controversy though. DJ Black Coffee had to give up his
judge’s seat, following the “discovery” that one of the semi-finalists is his
half step sister.
In a country like South Africa where our recent history
still echoes in the hearts and minds of many, finding one woman who is truly an
embodiment of what South Africa is all about is no walk through the park. It
has always been my wish that politics remain outside of the judging of this
event. If anything 20 years of democracy has taught us that the race issue has
become almost irrelevant. The best woman, with the right emotional
intelligence, irrespective of her ethnicity, MUST win. Having said, looking at
the past title holders, one can certainly identify a common denominator amongst
them. National pride and love for the nation has been an intangible factor that
all winners of Miss South Africa possess. At the end of the day this is a
beauty pageant and the woman who wins has to be someone that commands attention. People must immediately notice her when she
enters the room and must be a fierce competitor at the international
pageant(s). She also needs to strike a balance between being beautiful and
still be able to draw people towards her because of her warmth.
Melinda Bam being called into the top 10 at Miss Universe 2012
The glamorous Miss South Africa 2014 final is to take place this coming Sunday March 30th at the Sun City Superbowl. The organisers promise a show like no other. Sun International recently hired Miss South Africa 2011 Melinda Bam as the Executive National Director for the pageant. A very wise move and the results are already noticeable. The blonde bombshell, who made the top 10 at the 2012 Miss Universe pageant, has been hard at work. Miss South Africa brand is stronger than ever. One of the country’s telecommunications giant, Cell C, is the new presenting sponsor. Media coverage has been adequate. The Road to Miss South Africa show which is aired on Mzansi Magic has gotten viewers glued to their screens as the finalists have been put through several interesting challenges. The official Miss South Africa website has been a delight to visit. It is updated with amazing content and up to date information - everything from expert opinion on what to expect as a Miss SA competitor, a commentary provided by the reigning Miss South Africa Marilyn Ramos, Miss South Africa 2010 Bokang Montjane and Miss South Africa 2011 Melinda Bam, to include detailed finalists profiles. Making this year’s judging panel an extremely powerful one is the addition of Bonang Matheba, Amy Kleinhans Curd and Kojo Baffoe as judges. Kudos to Melinda and her team.
So who do I think will win Miss South Africa 2014? I have
been tossing and turning on this one. Honestly I believe the competition is
between two outstanding competitors – Ronele Strauss and Ziphozakhe Zokufa.
They have been going head to head from the commencement of this year’s pageant.
These two have been so popular that it has caused a public outcry for two
titles to be awarded this year – Miss Universe South Africa and Miss World
South Africa. Unfortunately this is no easy feat and Sun International has the
responsibility to both MUO and MWO. So I don’t see this happening. If there is
any justice in this world, one of these fine women should be Miss South Africa.
My heart breaks knowing that there will only be one winner. I hope the judges will challenge them
so that they dig deep within themselves and find that essence of why they want
to be Miss South Africa.
Ziphozakhe is such a rare find. Her undeniable beauty is
something to be cherished. She is well spoken, outgoing and has one of the most
unbelievable voices. You can’t help but listen and pay attention when she
speaks. She is such a breath of fresh air.
She is unique, unrehearsed and she seems to have this effortless aura about her.
She is gorgeous, classy and tall and can easily make top 5 both at Miss World
and Miss Universe.
Rolene Strauss returns to fight for the crown from her first
attempt back in 2011 where she made top 5. The improvement this girl has made
from then till now is remarkable. She is drop dead gorgeous. You can take her
right now, send her to Miss Universe and she will make waves. She is smart, has
an amazing body, glamorous and witty. It’s almost as if she doesn’t have to try
hard to be noticed. Rolene is a complete package. If she wins, I’d be just as
delighted. She has everything it takes to win South Africa its 2nd
Miss Universe crown.
The judges certainly have work cut out for them. I wish them
the best of luck as they make this almost impossible decision. The quality of
this year’s finalists is outstanding.
Miksha, Jade, Matlala and Tshegofatso might sneak in and take it all
too. It is not over until Price Water house Coopers has adjudicated the results
J I wish all the
finalists the best of luck. May the best girl win!!!
Images courtesy of Miss SAO and MUO
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