Miss South Africa 2024: Toward Calming Social Storm, Embracing Inclusivity

A Walk on Vanity Street, the beauty show

By the end of August 10, 2024, the winner of the 68 years competition of the Miss South Africa Beauty Pageant would have been announced. The lady-winner, who would be doing the catwalk in readiness for The Miss Universe climax, goes off with the bounty that is tied to the one that wears the queenly crown.

In addition to the perks attached to it by Sun International, the owners of the show, sessions of world class coaching, advanced networking with global trendsetters and business mentors would become Miss South Africa’s new curriculum. Juicy, no doubt, and that is the ambition of this class of ‘Gen Zee’ gunning for the crown. The numerous gifts and packages by sponsors will make a world of difference for the contestants that reach points where take-away packages become norm.

Like a flower that blooms in the morning sun, and pales at sunset, beauty shows are passing fancies. The substance that gets referred to as ‘beauty’ has a very short life span by worldly standards. It is appreciated while it lasts.

South Africa’s 2024 Edition – the storm

The contest for the 2024 edition of this pageant has generated so much dust because of the entry of Miss Chidimma Adetshina. And who is she to get so much social media buzz and much of it negative?

The 23-year-old law student at Varsity College, a Sowetan of a Nigerian father and South African mother, is regarded as not South African enough to contest.

The wedding bells tolled for her father and mother many years ago in the beautiful land of South Africa. Following the nuptial knot being tied, Chidimma was born, bred, and schooled in Soweto. However, she later moved to Cape Town where she presently resides.

The organizers of the beauty show no doubt screened every document each participant submitted as a requirement to run. Talking to the BBC Pidgin English service, the owners of the show stated their satisfaction with her entry documentation. By July 1, Miss Chidimma and 12 others had already been listed as finalists.

On social media particularly, so many uncomplimentary comments against her have flooded the space. Simply classified as hate speech, Miss Chidimma has so much to bear for one who has bathed her body, and filled her tongue, as children do, with the soil of Soweto.

A present-day SA cabinet minister, with a notable portfolio, on his way back from a national assignment outside the country, rather than stick to getting more facts before making any comment sent negative signals with some remarks for the media to run with. In another breadth, a leader of a major party and presidential aspirant in the just concluded election was more sensitive in his comments. He declared that Miss Chidimma must have met the minimum requirement of the promoters of the Beauty pageant of being a South African citizen and that is very important to the nation.

Mixed nationality not peculiar

In 2001, Vanessa Carreira was crowned Miss South Africa; she had Portuguese-Angolan parents, and it was well received by the nation. On the Nigerian side, Nene Etule Victoria, later became Nene Malafa was adjudged the winner in the 1959 edition; she had a good dose of Cameroonian parentage. She passed the screening successfully and it went down nicely with Nigerians.

Let it be remembered that a personality like former President Barack Obama has a Kenyan lineage but was born in the US. He was seen as not American enough by those stoking the flames of racism. The immediate past UK Prime Minister has Asian parents but was born in the United Kingdom; US Vice President, Kamala Harris is American enough to be considered a candidate for the highest seat in the World’s leading democracy. The list is growing by the day. However, it is crucial for those who champion inclusivity and social cohesion to work towards making the world a better place.

In the game of football and the pursuit of national honour, nations get well ahead of others to secure the signature and consent of players with dual nationality that connect their countries to adorn national colours.

This applies to Bafana Bafana on the South African side, and the Super Eagles of Nigeria on the other. Many nations all over the world cherish the great inputs of these young football stars and do the same. Of course, we know the rivalry in sports between the two countries, yet scouts go great lengths to secure the services of these talented players. Why is that of a beauty show drawing much bile and unnecessarily so?

Looking beyond the pageant, fostering cohesion, peace

The world sees the cloud of xenophobia gathering, but interestingly, there is the other side of the divide fighting to disperse it to let sanity reign.

Nigeria and South Africa have come a long way in their diplomatic journey dating back to days when the Apartheid regime held sway with its oppressive policies against the blacks – in the period when the highly revered Nelson Mandela was in prison at Robben Island, and Soweto and Sharpeville were massacre ground for the brutal police.

Only a few weeks ago, the 30th anniversary of Nigeria-South Africa diplomatic relations were marked in the prestigious University of Lagos, Nigeria during which the South Africa High Commission and University management held a grand symposium to strengthen ties between them. Diplomatic relations came into being February 21, 1994, proceeding the nation’s April 27 Freedom Day.

The pursuit of economic prosperity

The economic ties between South Africa and Nigeria go into different areas such as telecoms, banking, petroleum, mining, service industry, manufacturing and so on. In 2022, SA's investment in Nigeria was well in excess of R4.4 billion capital expenditure comprising of about 120 companies. On both side of the African continent, there is more to profit the people than grinding under the pain of acrimonious hate speeches that lean towards xenophobia. This is very unhealthy under the prevailing economic climate in this present circumstance of threatened world peace and stability.

Let brotherly love and understanding continue.

DISCLAIMER: Submission published as received