Miss South Africa 2020 is all set to host the annual edition virtually where the representatives to Miss Universe 2020, Miss World 2020 and Miss Supranational 2020 will be crowned. The organization also recently announced that the pageant is going under dramatic and exciting changes for the new decade. These changes are all part of an ongoing drive by the Miss South Africa organisation to grow the Miss South Africa brand and keep it relevant in today’s world. Rebranding includes the launch of a new logo with the tagline: Face Your Power. Embrace Your Future.
Just recently, the Top 15 semi-finalists were revealed out of the 35 contestants who began their journey in the national competition. Melissa Nayimuli, the 24-year-old beauty, has made it to the Top 15 with her unique beauty.
Melissa hails from Butterworth in the Eastern Cape and now lives in Sunninghill, Joburg where she works as an account manager for a marketing agency. She has a BA in Motion Picture Medium from AFDA and has majored in television writing.
On being a part of Top 15, Melissa expresses, “This is my third time entering Miss South Africa, but my first time making it through any round. I entered in 2016 and 2018, and both times, I did not make it past the first judging round. Getting rejected was really disappointing, so coming back this year took a lot of courage, and I am so happy I took that brave step because here I am now, part of the top 15. This journey has been nothing short of amazing.”
Her role models are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, because she is not afraid to speak the truth no matter the cost" and Ava DuVerney whose commitment to writing stories that challenge the way one sees the world and thinks is inspiring. Melissa wishes to spread awareness and stop the high rate of gender-based violence in South Africa.
Melissa was born into a multicultural home with a Xhosa mother and a Ugandan father. On why she wants to be crowned Miss South Africa 2020, she says, "As exciting as this was, on one hand, I got to experience the full acceptance and love from being treated like a South African, and on occasion, with just the mere mention of my surname, I felt what it was like to be treated like a foreigner."
"I am entering Miss South Africa with the hopes of bringing unity within the African continent. I would like to start conversations that are aimed at repairing the damage caused by xenophobia, not only in South Africa but all over the African continent. This is not only a South Africa problem, it is not only an Africa problem, it is a global issue. We need to be kinder, more accepting and more respectful of each other’s differences. South African women are proving on a daily basis that they are not only powerful leaders who can effect change, but they can do that with grace, compassion, and humility, which I believe are imperative attributes for such a sensitive topic", she says. In our opinion, she sure is a strong contender for the crown.