A Stellenbosch University (SU) student and Miss South Africa 2020 entrant called on the Miss South Africa (SA) Organisation to be more intentional with the representation and inclusion of South African women on their platform.
In a video that gained over 8000 views and 156 shares, Zizo Vokwana questioned the lack of diversity in Miss SA entrants. The humanities student posted the video on 21 May on Facebook.
“I watched a couple of [entry] videos and [only] saw women of a certain body type. My concern is that there is a woman who is differently-abled, a transgender woman or a fat girl like me who would love to enter but would be scared to because they are not included in the process,” Vokwana said in the video.
Although the Miss SA Organisation is yet to respond to Vokwana, she said she hoped her challenge-turned-entry encouraged people who subvert societal norms of beauty.
“Initially my video was not an entry. My video was about breaking the social norms and just questioning why we continuously see a certain type of Miss SA,” Vokwana said.
Zizo Vokwana said the Miss SA Organisation must show that they are trying to be inclusive by ensuring that their advertising is representative of all South African women. PHOTO: Facebook/Zizo Vokwana.
While Vokwana is calling for greater representation, the growing representation and diversity in titleholders over the years is what motivated former SU student, Masake Maleka, to enter Miss SA 2020.
“[In previous] years, it seemed like [Miss SA] is only for certain types of people and, because of my height, I am not your stereotypical model. However, I am someone who is keen to constantly break boundaries and barriers,” she said.
Maleka said former Miss SA titleholders like Zozibini Tunzi and Basetsana Kumalo motivated her to enter and erase the stigma that physical features are the platform’s sole focus.
Masake Maleka, who held the Miss Teen Commonwealth South Africa: Charity title in 2017/18 said participating in pageants boosted her confidence and encouraged her to partake in social impact activities. PHOTO: Facebook/Masake Maleka.
“[The platform] is not just a beauty pageant. It is an organisation that champions social impact and any person is capable of doing that. I do not [understand] why we should be restricted by our bodies,” Vokwana said.
Inclusion: Real or performative?
The Miss SA 2019 contestants were the most diverse group in the history of the platform and the Miss SA Organisation hopes to maintain this diversity, said Stephanie Weil, Miss SA Organisation’s chief executive officer, to Timeslive in May.
Keeping to this commitment, the Miss SA website stated that transgender women who have a South African identity document (ID) that reflects their sex as female may enter Miss SA 2020.
Although allowing transgender women to enter increases their inclusion and representation on the platform, the ID rule excludes many transgender women, said Zsa-Zsa, Miss Gay RSA until 2019 and Transpower director.
“[In] South Africa, about 90% of transgender women are still legally identified as male solely because we cannot and have not been [able] to change our identity documents,” she said.
Director of Transpower, Zsa-Zsa, said the inclusion of transgender women must be coupled with efforts to know the history of transgender communities as well as the struggles faced by transgender people. PHOTO: Supplied/Zsa-Zsa
Sensitivity training and engagement by the Miss SA Organisation with transgender communities is necessary for greater inclusion of transgender women in the pageant, said Zsa-Zsa.
The Top 15 finalists for Miss SA 2020 were announced on 24 June by Miss SA 2019, Sasha-Lee Olivier.