The Miss South Africa (Miss SA) beauty pageant concluded its first-ever virtual contest on Saturday and rising to the podium to accept her crown was 24-year-old Shudufhadzo Musida.
Miss SA finale: Shudufhadzo Musida crowned pageant queen
The pageant finale took place at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town with Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi in attendance, to vacate her throne and make way for the new Miss SA.
In the end, it was Musida who wowed judges. Thato Mosehle from Klerksdorp became the first princess and Pretoria’s Natasha Joubert capped off the Miss SA 2020 top-three as the second runner-up.
Next on the cards for our queens are three international pageant contests, the most prominent being Miss Universe which Musida will be fielded for to represent South Africa.
There’s a lot we have yet to know about our newly crowned Miss SA. She is young, well-travelled and a custodian for mental health awareness in women and children.
Five things you didn’t know about Miss SA
But, what do we not know about Musida? We did a bit of digging and here are five things you didn’t know about this year’s Miss SA.
She is a village girl from Limpopo
Musida was born and raised in Ha-Masia, a small village in the Vhembe municipal district. The village is located about 142km away from Polokwane.
She shares a birthday with Nelson Mandela
Our new Miss SA was born on 18 July 1996 and thus shares a birthday with South Africa’s first democratic president Nelson Mandela.
Her idol is Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Musida’s inspiration in philanthropy is Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. This, Miss SA told Wits in a recent editorial, is for her work in empowering women and children through her role at the UN Women and her Umlambo foundation.
She is a bookworm
Musida is a well-educated queen. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and is currently completing an honour’s degree in International Relations.
Her favourite book is Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur.
She’s the second Wits University alumni to be crowned Miss SA
The 24-year-old follows former Miss SA Ntandoyenkosi Kunene as the second Wits University alumni to win the beauty pageant. Kunene was crowned Miss SA in 2016.