Miss South Africa is a national beauty pageant in South Africa that selects South African representatives to compete in one of the Big Four international beauty pageantsMiss Universe, and also selects another representative to participate in Sub-major international pageantMiss Supranational. The Miss South Africa organisation resorted to a contemporary format in selecting representatives which was inaugurated in 2018. Following their newer method, both a Miss World South Africa and a Miss Universe South Africa were selected as representatives. From 2021 onwards, the winner of Miss South Africa will be competing in Miss Universe, and Miss Supranational. The current Miss South Africa 2024 is Mia le Roux. On May 11, 2023, the Miss South Africa Organisation has lost its license as a Miss World licensee holder to Carol Bouwer Productions, which has taken over the license of Miss World South Africa pageant.[1]
History
Established in 1956, the first official Miss South Africa pageant was organized to send a representative to London for the Miss World pageant. That year Norma Vorster was crowned Miss South Africa. Two years later, an 18-year-old secretary from Durban, Penny Coelen, was crowned and would later go on to make history and win Miss World.
It was not until 1977 that all persons of all races were allowed to compete in the Miss SA competition. Prior to that, people of colour competed in the Miss Africa South pageant,[2] which was renamed Miss Black South Africa in 1977.
This was just the beginning for the Miss South Africa organisation; of the 60 women who have worn the crown, only the last 27 winners have been chosen from the entire population of South Africa and not just white individuals. Since then, hundreds of young women have entered the pageant vying for the title.[3]
Miss South Africa (or a runner-up in some instances) has always competed at Miss World, but the first Miss South Africa to compete at Miss Universe was Kerishnie Naicker in 1998.
Prior to 1998, South Africa's representatives at Miss Universe qualified via other national pageants.
Prior to the establishment of the official Miss South Africa, South African Pictorial ("The Union's National Weekly") held annual Beauty Competitions starting in 1923. This evolved later into Miss South Africa. The first winner of this prize was Mrs. Doris Ferramosca (née Doris Gwendoline Helliwell).
On some occasions, the winner of Miss South Africa represents her country at the Miss Universe pageant. Prior to 1982, the winner of the Miss RSA pageant represented South Africa at Miss Universe. Prior to 1998, the winner of the individual Miss Universe South Africa compete at Miss Universe. From 1981-1983 and in 1979, delegates from two of South Africa's Bantustans competed at Miss Universe.
On some occasions, the winner of Miss South Africa represents her country at the Miss World pageant. From 1970 to 1976, South Africa had one white and one black representative at Miss World. The white representative wore a sash that said "South Africa" and the black representative wore a sash that said "Africa South".
Miss South Africa Organisation held the Miss Supranational franchise in 2020 and send 1st runner-up, Thato Mosehle. From 2021 onwards, the winner of Miss South Africa will be competing in Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Supranational when her schedule permits or won any of the international title.
^ abcAfter the winner won an international pageant, the runner-up replaced her as Miss South Africa
^ abcdefghijklmnoAfter the end of apartheid, the province of Transvaal was split into Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and eastern part of North West Province.
^ abcdefAfter the end of apartheid, the province of Natal was redesignated as the Province of KwaZulu-Natal after the KwaZulubantustan was reintergrated into the province.