Pongola beauty is a semi-finalist in Miss SA 2016
Zinhle Nkonyane from Pongola will join 25 contestants in the prestigious pageant.
THE 25 Miss South Africa semi-finalists for 2016 have been announced.
Of the 25 women, 12 will compete for the Miss South Africa 2016 title in March next year when the winner will be crowned by the reigning Miss South Africa, Liesl Laurie.
The Miss South Africa 2016 semi-finalists are an impressive group. Among them are a geologist, several psychologists and law students and an international television presenter.
Homegrown beauty, Zinhle Nkonyane is one of the contestants on the catwalk.
The 24-year-old Pongola lass said she entered the contest as she grew up watching the pageant on TV and promised herself, one day she would enter.
‘I love the fact that I’m a South African, it’s only been two decades and a bit since our emancipation but we have achieved so much, including the confidence in our people on a global stage,’ she said.
‘Growing up watching the pageant, watching it develop from a beauty contest into something much more relevant and modern I promised myself that as soon as I could, I would enter and be a part of it,’ Zinhle added.
The Miss South Africa 2016 semi-finalists are:
Shanice Smith (New Germany, Durban, KZN); Zinhle Nkonyane (Pongola, KZN); Tumi Tlou (Soweto, Gauteng); Sarah Botes (Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng); Reabetswe Sechoaro (Pretoria East, Gauteng); Tayla Skye Robinson (Roodepoort, Gauteng); Sharon-Rose Khumalo (Pretoria, Gauteng); Deidre Engelbrecht (Centurion, Gauteng); S’nethemba Mbatha (Sebokeng, Gauteng); Kerusha Govender (Durban, KZN); Schane Venter (Alberton, Gauteng); Saihania Naidoo (Lenasia, Gauteng); Kabelo Mashiane (Daveyton, Gauteng); Cara Frew (Sandhurst, Gauteng); Loreal Magro (Zakariyya Park, Gauteng); Marciel Hopkins (Paarl, Western Cape); Lee-Zanda Jonas (Belhar, Western Cape); Ronette Chambers (Cape Town, Western Cape); Sinovuyo Witbooi Mdekazi (Kuilsriver, Western Cape); Mikaela Oosthuizen (Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape); Luyolo Mngonyama (Umtata, Eastern Cape); Lizel Birkenstock (Umhlanga, KZN); Felicia Muwayi (Nelspruit, Mpumalanga); Ntandoyenkosi Kunene (Mkhondo (formerly Piet Retief), Mpumalanga); Elizabeth Molapo (Bloemfontein, Free State).
* For a more in depth interview with Zinhle get the ZO Monday edition and check out the City Beat pages.
