When beauty was officially skin-deep
IN 1970, at the height of apartheid, two separate pageants were held — one called Miss South Africa, for white women, and another, Miss Africa South, for women of colour.
The two winners that year were Jillian Jessup for Miss South Africa and Pearl Jansen for Miss Africa South.
“They both went on to represent South Africa at the Miss World pageant,” said Louis Fourie, an independent Miss South Africa archivist.
Jansen placed as the first runner-up and Jessup as fourth runner-up.
Fourie, who has collected historical data on the competition for more than 20 years, said that in 1971 the Miss South Africa contender at the Miss World competition, Monica Fairall, made the top 15 but was disqualified due to her “bareback” dress, which organisers said was too revealing.
Actress Cynthia Shange, known for her role in the soapie Muvhango, wasMiss Africa South in 1972.
Controversy reared its head in 1975 when Vera Johns, who was the official Miss South Africa, was disqualified just before the Miss World contest due to her Rhodesian citizenship.
“Sending two contestants to Miss World continued until 1976 when many countries started boycotting the pageant due to the unfairness of South Africa having to send two representatives from the same country,” said Fourie.
International sanctions against apartheid meant South Africa could not participate in Miss World from 1978 to 1990, but it was re-admitted in 1991, when Diana Tilden-Davis was named second runner-up.
The first woman of colour to win Miss South Africa was Amy Kleinhans, in 1992. The following year Jacqui Mofokeng became the first black woman to be crowned Miss South Africa.