South Africa is Performer of the Year 2021

South Africa’s ascent in the world of beauty pageants is largely expected and clinching the title Performer of the Year 2021 puts an exclamation point to its spectacular achievements. South Africa’s racial diversity has been a boon to its beauty pageant scene and whether it will send a blonde or a black goddess, the country’s ability to perform well at the Big5 Pageants remains consistent.  

There was a time when South Africa was considered a pariah in the world of beauty pageants. It was barred from competing at Miss Universe from 1985-1994 and at Miss World from 1978-1990 due to the country’s apartheid policies. With the restoration of democracy in 1994, it quickly regained its reputation as one of the rising beauty pageant superpowers.

While it is true that South Africa didn’t win any Big5 crowns in 2021, the consistent and strong performance of South African beauty queens propelled the country to the top. Thato Mosehle finishing as 2^nd runner-up at Miss Supranational 2021, started the ball rolling. Nompumelelo Maduna sustained the momentum with a Top 20 finish at Miss Earth 2021 while Lalena Mswane sealed the deal with her surprising 2^nd runner-up finish at Miss Universe 2021.