Dr Claude Mashego will represent South Africa at the Miss World pageant in India next March.
Mashego, 24, was crowned at the first-ever Miss World South Africa pageant on Saturday at the State Theatre in Pretoria.
The main event, hosted by Minnie Dlamini, was preceded by a red-carpet show hosted by Lunga Shabalala and Yaya Mavundla. The red carpet show was broadcast on SABC3 before the main show, which was also broadcast to international countries on The Africa Channel.
On Saturday night, 12 finalists took to the stage to compete for the honour of representing South Africa at the 2024 Miss World pageant.
They walked the stage numerous times, showcasing looks from various designers while musicians such as Mthandazo Gatya, Unathi Nkayi and Jimmy Dludlu performed.
During the competition, Mashego told organisers that she would use her reign to build a network of young leaders and community-builders in South Africa and across Africa through her non-profit organisation, the Young Leaders Network.
“There will be communities I can never reach for geographical reasons and because I am just one person. But can you imagine what we could achieve if young people across this country and continent came together with the common goal of building Africa into the powerhouse we know it can be,” the 24-year-old medical doctor said.
“For me, pageants have always been about finding a platform that gives one an opportunity and resources to be a community-builder, finding my corner and brightening so much that my light inspires the next person to the same in their corner,” Claude extended.
Mashego is from Acornhoek, Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga, and she graduated from the University of Pretoria with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery.
