The Miss South Africa Pageant is a proud collaboration between Sun International and Cell C. The new Miss South Africa 2017 will be crowned at Sun City on 26 March and the event will be simulcast live on Mzansi Magic (Channel 161) and M-Net (Channel 101).

Miss South Africa 2017 will receive R1-million in cash from sponsors Sun International and Cell C, as well as a bouquet of prizes that will elevate the competition to one of the richest pageants in the world.

The finalists come from three of the country’s nine provinces: eight are from Gauteng with two from the Western Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal. In Gauteng they come from Alexandra, Soweto, Lenasia, Pretoria, Benoni and Krugersdorp and the Western Cape finalists hail from Herold’s Bay and Sedgefield. Kwa-Zulu Natal contestants come from Durban and Mtunzini.

They are (in alphabetical order of their first names):

• Adè van Heerden - Herold’s Bay, Western Cape
• Boipelo Mabe - Alexandra, Gauteng
• Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters - Sedgefield, Western Cape
• Iman Mkwanazi - Lenasia, Gauteng
• Kayla Malherbe - Mtunzini, Kwa Zulu Natal
• Nicole van Niekerk - Môregloed, Pretoria, Gauteng
• Nompumelelo Mampholo - Diepkloof, Soweto, Gauteng
• Odirile Sepeng - Mabopane, Pretoria, Gauteng
• Priyeshka Lutchman - Yellowwood Park, Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal
• Shané Naidoo - Benoni, Gauteng
• Shelbe Pretorius - Pinehaven, Krugersdorp, Gauteng
• Yuta Raubenheimer - Kameeldrift, Pretoria, Gauteng

For the first time in the history of the Miss South Africa pageant, members of the public were invited to vote for their favourite Miss South Africa 2017 semi-finalist and propel her into the Top 12. The winner of the public vote was Pretoria’s Nicole van Niekerk.


Says Sun International PR Manager Claudia Henkel, “We are absolutely delighted with the finalists. The young women who have been selected depict everything that we hope the pageant represents: intelligence, integrity and beauty.”

Suzette van der Merwe, Managing Executive for Cell C, says, “The Miss South Africa pageant provides a prestigious and respected platform for these dynamic, talented young women to discover their strengths, boost their confidence and propel their lives forward. It provides life-changing experiences for all the participants and, for the winner, an opportunity to inspire and make a real difference.”

The young woman who is crowned Miss South Africa 2017 will automatically become the spokesperson for the Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day initiative.

Ntandoyenkosi Kunene, the current Miss South Africa who recently competed in both Miss World and Miss Universe, will crown her successor at the 2017 pageant.