Miss South Africa, presented by Sun International, in collaboration with Cell C, takes place at Carnival City on Saturday, March 19, and will be televised from 17:00 to 19:00. Vuzu (DStv Channel 114) will air a live 30-minute red carpet event from 16:00 to 16:30.
Mzansi and Vuzu will feature inserts and interviews with the Top 12 finalists in the weeks leading up to the final event.
The venue has moved from Sun City to Carnival City as the Entertainment Centre at Sun City, the traditional home of the Miss South Africa pageant, will be closed for refurbishments.
The 12 women who are in competition to be named Miss South Africa 2015 Liesl Laurie’s successor are: Elizabeth Molapo (Bloemfontein, Free State); Felicia Muwayi (Nelspruit, Mpumalanga); Luyolo Mngonyama (Umtata, Eastern Cape); Marciel Hopkins (Paarl, Western Cape); Mikaela Oosthuizen (Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape); Ntandoyenkosi Kunene (Mkhondo, Mpumalanga); Reabetswe Sechoaro (Pretoria East, Gauteng); Ronette Chambers (Cape Town, Western Cape); Sarah Botes (Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng); Schané Venter (Alberton, Gauteng); Sharon-Rose Khumalo (Pretoria, Gauteng) and Tayla Skye Robinson (Roodepoort, Gauteng).
Returning as judges for Miss South Africa 2016 are magazine editor, poet and writer Kojo Baffoe; actress and TV personality Sophie Ndaba; Bloemfontein designer Casper Bosman and magazine editor and style icon Pnina Fenster. Joining the panel is businessperson and former Miss South Africa Basetsana Kumalo.
Regarded as leaders and trendsetters in their respective fields, they will be judging contestants on intelligence, leadership, talent, physical fitness and a dedication to community service.
Sun International PR manager, Claudia Henkel, says; “We are thrilled that the television broadcast has been extended from 90 minutes to two hours. Thanks to the longer duration we plan to raise the stakes and build the drama, giving viewers at home a real entertaining and tension-filled show.”