Shannon Benting named Miss Supranational South Africa 2026

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS - South Africa has its winner! African Beauty International has named Shannon Benting of Northcliff, Gauteng, as Miss African Beauty Miss Supranational South Africa 2026 - the woman who will carry this country’s flag onto one of the world’s most prestigious international pageant stages in Poland next month.

The announcement was made alongside the reveal of the Miss African Beauty South Africa 2026 Top 20, from which a further two contestants will be selected to compete on the world stage.

Miss Supranational 2026 takes place on 31 July at the Strzelecki Park Amphitheatre in Nowy Sacz, Poland. Reigning titleholder Eduarda Braum of Brazil will crown her successor on the night.

Benting will carry the South African flag onto that stage as Miss Supranational South Africa 2026.

A model and content creator, 30-year-old Benting uses her platform to empower women and bridge the gap between potential and opportunity. Her multicultural heritage, with South African Coloured roots on both sides and Chinese ancestry through her grandmother on her father’s side and her great-grandfather on her mother’s side, has shaped her into someone who celebrates diversity, family and unity.

Through her initiative, Beauty in Action, she works to connect underserved youth with mentorship, skills development and community outreach, driven by her conviction that talent is universal but opportunity is not.

Grounded, teachable and purposeful, Benting dreams of building platforms that remind young South African girls that where they come from should never limit where they are going.

“Representing South Africa at Miss Supranational 2026 is a moment I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I have worked hard, dreamed big and stayed grounded in my purpose, and this feels like confirmation that showing up with authenticity and intention truly matters. I do not take this responsibility lightly. I am walking onto that stage in Poland not just for myself, but for every young woman in South Africa who has been told that where she comes from is a limitation rather than a launching pad. I want her to see me and believe that it is possible for her too,” she says.

Miss African Beauty Miss Suprational South Africa Shannon Benting. Photo by Yolanda van der Stoep

Bokang Montjane-Tshabalala, CEO of African Beauty International, national director of Miss Supranational South Africa and a former Miss South Africa 2010 and Miss World Africa 2011 titleholder, says she knows intimately what it takes to represent a nation on the world’s most competitive stages.

“Shannon stood out not simply for her beauty – though that is undeniable – but for the quiet, unshakeable clarity she has about who she is and what she wants to do with her platform. She has a natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life, which speaks directly to her multicultural heritage and her life experience. On an international stage, that quality is rare and immensely powerful.

"Shannon understands that this title is not about a crown; it is about the doors it opens and the lives that can be changed as a result. That is exactly the spirit Miss African Beauty South Africa was built to amplify, and I have every confidence she will make this country incredibly proud in Poland.”

Miss African Beauty South Africa is the country’s most exciting beauty and purpose pageant, celebrating women of extraordinary achievement, conviction and community impact. Benting was one of 21 finalists drawn from seven of the country’s nine provinces, spanning fields from civil engineering and audiology to law, cancer biology, drama therapy and digital marketing.

Three finalists will represent South Africa at three of the world’s most prestigious pageants: Shannon Benting, named Miss Supranational South Africa 2026, will compete at Miss Supranational 2026 in July, while the Miss World South Africa 2026 and Miss Universe South Africa 2026 representatives will be drawn from the remaining Top 20.

Miss World 2026 is scheduled for September 5 in Vietnam, and Miss Universe 2026 – the 75th edition – takes place at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.