Ladies and gents – we have a stunning new Miss South Africa! Taking the 61st crown, in the year of 2019 is 25-year-old PR graduate, Zozibini Tunzi who was crowned Miss South Africa 2019 as the iconic pageant proudly celebrated on Women’s Day with a glittering and star-studded event at the Sun Arena, in Time Square, Pretoria, tonight!

Hailing from Tsolo in the Eastern Cape, and now resident in Cape Town, Zozibini will receive R1-million in cash as well as a further R2 million worth of sponsorships and prizes, including the use of a luxury Sandton apartment and a Mercedes-Benz cabriolet for a year.

Runner-up was Sasha-Lee Olivier (26), from Alberton, who received R250 000 in cash.

In her Miss South Africa acceptance speech, an emotional Tunzi said: “For as long as I can remember, I always knew that I had to do something extraordinary with my life. I knew that to live a fulfilling life I had to live a purposeful life; a life of service. I believe that every single person was brought into this world for a purpose and that we should never leave the world as we found it, we should always strive to make a positive change.

“At a young age I did not have a clear idea of how I would achieve this, but I knew I had to find a way to be impactful and to be a catalyst for positive change in my community and even the world. Finally, everything has come full circle as I find myself with the Miss South Africa crown, ready to deliver on the promises I have been making since I was a child. I am inspired by the likes of Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela, Princess Diana and those of their calibre. They understood fully what it means to be selfless and to stand for something.”

The event, hosted by Bonang Matheba in front of an audience of thousands and broadcast live on M-Net and Mzansi Magic was a spectacular affair with live music provided by some of the who’s who of the SA music industry including Sho Madjozi, Nasty C, Amanda Black and Jesse Clegg.

However, one of the most emotional moments was when the unsung “Mother of the Nation” award was given to Solani Mirriam Mazibuko (71) of the Orlando Children’s Home. She was honoured for her selflessness and unstinting dedication to children in distress and received R50 000 from the Miss South Africa Organisation and sponsors LFP Group.

The Miss South Africa 2019 judges were reigning Miss Universe Catriona Gray, former Miss Universe and Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, queen of SA talk and radio jock Anele Mdoda, actress and businesswoman Connie Ferguson and SA model, activist and lawyer Thando Hopa.

Miss South Africa is presented by Weil Entertainment in association with Sun International and the LFP Group.

Find out all your need to know info about Zozibini and more…here…