Entertainment
Kimberley hosts Miss Teen Universe for first time─── ZENANDE MPAME 16:06 Wed, 30 Oct 2024
Kimberley will be abuzz this week as it welcomes contestants from more than 40 countries for the Miss Teen Universe 2024 pageant.
International guests are set to arrive on Thursday (31/10) at the Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre on Saturday (9/11) for the sixth edition of Miss Teen Universe, which will be staged in South Africa for the first time.
The finale will be staged in Kimberley instead of Johannesburg, as previously communicated.
The contestants will be in the Northern Cape capital for two weeks, participating in various activities till Sunday, including a flea market, national costume competition, preliminary competition, and a highly anticipated aerobics fun session with the social media sensation “King of Squats”.
An aerobics fun session will be hosted by social media sensation “King of Squats”. Photo supplied
“We are excited about staging this event in our own backyard. Gone are the days when the Northern Cape played second fiddle to other provinces,” said Unamandla Isagoentle Foundation CEO and founder Onalenna Vilakazi.
“We are grateful for the support of our premier, Dr Zamani Saul, and his cabinet who have opened their doors in assisting us during the build-up to this showstopper.”
The Unamandla-Isagoentle Foundation, founded by Unamandla Vilakazi (16) in 2022, is an NPO dedicated to fostering positive behavioural change in schools under the banner of “a positive mindset for a positive future”.
The winner will walk away with an electric car, a cash prize, skin care products for the year of reign, and a trip to Cape Town.
“I am confident that the city’s residents will greet with enthusiasm and extend the friendliest of receptions to all visitors,” said Sol Plaatje Mayor Kagisho Sonyoni.
‘The ripple effect is also set to benefit local entrepreneurs’
“We note with appreciation an embrace of our people, heritage, and wildlife as reflected in the pageant itinerary. Equally the emphasis on charity, educational advancement, and the upliftment of the vulnerable of society.”
The event will include a talent competition, a national costume competition, and charity drives for NPOs around Kimberley. The ripple effect from the pageant is also set to benefit local entrepreneurs and create temporary employment.
