Miss Universe South Africa Bryoni Govender is flying Mzansi’s flag high in El Salvador, where she is participating in the Miss Universe competition.
Govender participated in the preliminary round and wowed the judges with her poise.
She started off with an interview with the judges, wearing a stunning midi gown by Juan William Aria. What’s special about this gown is that its fabric was imported from India, fitting for Govender, who made it a mandate to pay tribute to her Indian heritage.
“My interview went phenomenal. The judges were amazing, so easy to talk to, and it was just a conversation. The only thing though was that it was so short. I wanted to stand and chat, and then I heard the bell ring,” said Govender.
On Wednesday November 15, she walked the Miss Universe stage for the first time in the preliminary competition. She stole the show in a golden Willet Designs Couture gown that draws inspiration from her Indian heritage.
“Inspired by the rich mineral landscape of South Africa and drawing inspiration from Bryoni Govender’s Indian heritage, this masterpiece created by Willet Designs Couture blends seamlessly,” said the Miss SA organisation.
Govender is already a firm favourite as she made it to the top 10 in the “Voice for Change” contest.
She impressed everyone when she spoke about her Her Way Out campaign, which focuses on taking up the cudgels on behalf of women everywhere and helping to educate them on their legal rights.
For this campaign, she partnered with Lawyers Against Abuse, a non-profit organisation that provides free legal assistance and therapy to victims and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in South African communities.
Govender stands a chance to win not only the Miss Universe title but also the “Voice for Change” competition. Each “Voice for Change” winner will receive $12 000 (about R218 000).
∎ The three gold “Voice for Change” winners will be announced during the Miss Universe pageant finale, which takes place in El Salvador on Saturday and will be broadcast live on SABC 3 (DStv Channel 193), from 3am on Sunday. It will be repeated on the same day at 8pm.