Pretoria-born Zoalize Jansen van Rensburg, at just 18 years old, has made history as the second-ever Miss World South Africa, a title she claimed at a dazzling event in Sun City on Saturday. The young beauty queen will now represent South Africa at the 72nd Miss World pageant in February 2025, a challenge she’s eagerly embracing.
According to News24, as a digital and marketing executive at Ferrari South Africa’s Scuderia, Jansen van Rensburg is not only about glamor but also deeply committed to creating positive change. Her project, “Never Too Young to Advocate,” reflects her belief that age is no barrier to making a significant impact. “Every person can contribute to the greater good of the world, and age, in that context, is nothing but a number,” she shared.
The ambitious queen’s platform aims to amplify the voices of the youth on a global scale. “Our organisation focuses on three essential pillars: educate, graduate, and advocate. I hope to use the power of social media to enrich our community with mental fortitude as well as self-encouragement. This is the key foundation needed to integrate our youth into positions of acknowledgment,” she explained.
Jansen van Rensburg is confident in her ability to bring home the Miss World crown, a prize South Africa has claimed three times before. “I believe that I have the qualities to bring back the fourth blue crown for and to South Africa. That crown is my biggest ambition because it is a vessel for change, and that in itself holds so much power,” she said.
The 2024 Miss World SA final was nothing short of a star-studded affair, with notable figures such as Carol Bouwer, Theo Nhlengethwa, Proverb, and Mthandazo Gatya attending. Bouwer, the president of the Miss World South Africa Organisation, heaped praise on Jansen van Rensburg, commending her unique qualities and the grace with which she handled the competition. “You have demonstrated to all of us that you are more than just a pretty face, but a force to be reckoned with,” said Bouwer.
The theme of the evening was perfectly captured in the name of the crown itself, “Peo,” a Setswana word for seed, symbolising growth and emergence. Bouwer emphasised that the crown represents “the process of coming into existence or prominence, the process of becoming visible after being concealed. It takes a strong seed to emerge anew.”
Jansen van Rensburg edged out Romanda Hombi and Nande Mabala to claim her victory. First princess Mabala, a model and social entrepreneur from Cape Town, received warm congratulations from Bouwer, who acknowledged her important role in adding to the glamour of the event.
With a stellar panel of judges including Rea Malatji, Ntsoaki Ledimo, Malaak Compton-Rock, Norman Cahi, and Taibar Bacar, the competition was fierce, but Jansen van Rensburg’s poise and vision ultimately secured her win.
