It’s all systems go for the 13th Miss Supranational competition.
The wait is over. Miss South Africa 2021, Lalela Mswane, is ready to take on the Miss Supranational stage at an event happening tonight at the Strzelecki Park Amphitheatre in Nowy Sącz, Poland.
Reigning Miss Supranational, Chanique Rabe, of Namibia, will crown her successor at the end of the event.
Mswane, representing South Africa for the second time in an international pageant, will be wearing a colourful dress that pays homage to her Zulu culture.
“This is a very special costume. I am not just representing South Africa, I am also an ambassador for the Zulu people and have taken their support, love and blessings to Poland with me as well.”
The dress was designed by Cape Town’s Lloyd Kandlin, the director of the costume department responsible for creating the costume worn by Miss South Africa 2019, Zozibini Tunzi, who went on to become Miss Universe that year.
To ensure that Mswane looks like the queen she is, the designer used traditional beading techniques on the dress. And for the crown, he added beaded braids representing the power of black women, whose strength – like Samson in the biblical story – lies in their hair.
“The idea with the costume was to find a balance in the chaos of our everyday lives, which is why I’ve used a vibrant print but carefully balanced it in perfect symmetry.”
Mswane will hand over her Miss South Africa crown to her successor on August 13.