The countdown to the Miss South Africa 2024 finale has begun and in less than a month, South Africa will have a new beauty queen.
For the final episode of “Crown Chasers”, the pageant organisers invited former Miss South Africa (1990) Suzette van der Merwe as a celebrity guest judge.
The contestants must bring their A-game because those who qualify will make it to the finale, where Natasha Joubert will crown her successor.
As someone who has walked the journey, van der Merwe said she was humbled to return as a judge and hoped her experience and wisdom will add more value to the competition.
“Experience certainly brings more compassion to my judging, having not only walked this journey myself but also as a mom of a 22-year-old daughter.
“This may be a reality TV show but I am very aware that these are young women with big dreams, and I respect that. At the time we were filming this episode, we had just had a historic outcome of the 2024 national elections.
“I was interested to glean how aware and conscious the finalists were of South African current affairs,” she said.
Van der Merwe added that for the next Miss South Africa, she was looking for someone who was aware of the social and national issues that most young people face, and passionate about the future of this country.
“My personal criteria include qualities like is she diplomatic and articulate? Does she show an understanding of servant leadership? Does she show signs of superior emotional intelligence?
“Is she strong enough in her convictions to withstand criticism, and mental and physical exhaustion? What is her general knowledge about South Africa’s current affairs?” she said.
“But above all, is she kind with a servant's heart – not only to the sponsors, organisers and judges but also to the drivers, cleaners, junior staff and Joe public.”
After the final episode of “Crown Chasers” on August 3, the remaining finalists will walk the ramp on August 10 at Sun International’s SunBet Arena at Time Square, Pretoria, where one of them will be crowned the new Miss South Africa.