Miss Supermodel-that-happens-to-be-South-African 2017

So our country has a new Miss South Africa, but last night’s beauty pageant came against some criticisms which have us questioning what standards of beauty the organisers subscribe to.

The first (white) Miss South Africa was crowned in 1943 but we only got a black Miss SA in 1993. #ThankYouApartheid.

Some South Africans saw it a waste of time. They pointed out that there were more important things to focus on.

Others questioned the elitist and exclusive nature of the event. If it’s a national competition, why was it only broadcast on DSTV, they asked.

The Miss South Africa pageant isn’t considered progressive enough by some South Africans. The type of women that are successful in this competition tend to be tall, skinny, and have long, flowing locks – whether weaves, extensions, or their own hair.

However, some tweeps see this image as the idea of perfection.

There were comments about how the winner, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters looks like a mix of former Miss South Africas. So, more of the same then?

Issues about representation of different ‘looks’ also came up in discussion.

Beauty pageants are an archaic mode of women’s empowerment. Why are we still looking at smart beautiful women with a proclivity for philanthropy as something that is exceptional? The fact that they are celebrating a certain type of woman shows that pageant organisers aren’t concerned with women in general, but only with selecting a supermodel who happens to be eloquent and clever too.


Is there still a place for beauty pageants in society? Is the lack of representation in the pageant something that needs to be looked at, and changed? Or can beauty pageants be reclaimed and subverted to mean more than picking the most beautiful woman in the country?

Featured image via Twitter