Zozibini Ntuzi, formerly known as Miss South Africa and now known as Miss Universe is a young, resilient, black, intelligent woman, born in the Eastern Cape, Tsolo. In the early hours of today, Zozibini was announced as the new Miss Universe. We were still celebrating her win as Miss South Africa, but clearly the universe had bigger and better plans for her. siyazingca ngawe Zozi!
Zozi did not only win Miss Universe she dismantled beauty standards that the world and society at large had in place. There is nothing more refreshing than seeing a brown skinned woman with her authentic hair representing us as a nation and not conforming to the ways of society. Like she said when answering one of the questions during the Miss Universe Q&A, “I grew up in a world where a woman who looks like me, with my kind of skin and my kind of hair, was never considered to be beautiful. And to think that it is time that that stops today. I want children to look at me and see my face, and I want them to see their faces reflected in mine, Thank you” she is most definitely inspiring a lot of young black girls that have the same shade of skin and the same texture of hair to believe in themselves.
2019 was both a devastating and happy year for South Africans. Dealing with issues of Gender-Based violence every single day was and still is a major problem in our country, but we also got to have proud moments. The Springboks winning the RWC, Caster Semenya defeating the Diamond league and winning the 800m race, the South Africa netball team winning, Trevor Noah filling the Madison Square Garden and being nominated for a Grammy, Sho Madjozi winning a BET award then after releasing a smash hit, “John Cena” it landed her at the Kelly Clarkson Show and meeting John Cena and lastly Zozibini Ntuzi being crowned Miss South Africa and Miss Universe just in a space of five months.
We as Culture Club are very proud to have had Zozibini Ntuzi, Miss Universe as our visual representation of South Africa.
cultureclubmag.com 