Miss South Africa will be back soon for the competition's new March crowning. As you probs know, the ceremony's been moved from December to March - mostly to avoid the confusion that arises when someone gets crowned at the end of one year and ends up being Miss SA for the following year i.e. Miss SA 2014 will reign
during 2014.
The build-up to her win starts on Mzansi Magic this Sunday (26 January) with The Road to Miss SA reality show. It starts at 17h30 and follows the search for a winner up until the pageant final in Sun City on Sunday, 30 March.
The judges this year are:
Anele Mdoda (her second year as judge), muso Black Coffee (who's obviously been cast because he's a dude) and magazine editor and stylista Pnina Fenster.
The season starts with the nationwide search for contestants and the choosing of the first 33 semi-finalists. Then, on 2 February, the Top 12 will be revealed and the rest of the show follows them as they're put through their paces at Sun City.
In bikini's, hot pants etc. Which I've adamantly decided isn't sexist.
Miss SA 2012 Marilyn Ramos
Over the years there have been loads of arguments against the pageant ... not only Miss SA but all pageants. Arguments stating that pageants objectify women, are a cattle call and are intrinsically sexist and dated.
After giving it masses of thought I've decided that pageants are neither of these things. In fact, they're the total opposite, for these reasons specifically:
1) They definitely empower women. The vast majority of those who've won the Miss SA title have gone on to very lucrative and empowering careers which wouldn't have happened if they hadn't entered and won.
2) There's a Mr SA so if Miss SA's sexist, so is Mr SA. We know this isn't true so neither is Miss SA.
3) The fact that contestants wear so few clothes for a large part of it isn't sexist at all. It's an appreciation of the female form.
If contestants were told that they
can't wear their bikini's and need to cover up - then it would definitely be sexist. As things stand, contestants have the freedom to flash us as much flesh as they wish and it's a very good and liberated thing.
4) The competition claims to be about a lot more than outer beauty but even if it was only about outer looks, it still wouldn't be sexist. It's much more sexist to say that we can't have competitions about women's outer beauty.
5) It's very definitely
not dated because no matter how many centuries pass, there are always tons of people who love seeing chiktas looking their best. It's one of those immortal things that people will never grow tired of.
Marilyn Ramos with former Miss SA Melinda Bam
In a nutshell, I have no gripes with it from a feminist point of view. If you've got it, flaunt it and let it be your power!
The one gripe I
do have with it all though is that the show and pageant doesn't air on a national broadcaster. Yes, the SABC's hugely problematic and a mismanaged fiasco but if the competition is for Miss South Africa then it really needs to be accessible to all of South Africa.
Since it's been on Mzansi Magic many people don't even know who the current Miss South Africa is. It wouldn't be a problem if she was called Miss Mzansi Magic but she isn't and therefore the whole thing doesn't make any sense to me.
Still, at least it's happening on TV regularly I suppose. When the pageant left the SABC it was always touch-and-go whether or not it would even air and at least it has it's own reality show now too.
This year The Road To Miss SA runs for 10 episodes and will be hosted by
Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp.