In 2019, the entire world watched as comedian Steve Harvey, who was the host of the Miss Universe pageant, announced Zozibini Tunzi as the pageant’s winner. Tunzi had advanced to the finals and was up against Madison Anderson of Puerto Rico, who came in second. At the pageant, her confidence on stage was second to none, proving that Tunzi definitely takes her craft seriously. Her crowning was done by the then outgoing Miss Universe, Catriona Gray of the Philippines. Zozibini Tunzi carried her crown with such grace, despite her reign being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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After her win, Zozibini was instantly shot out of a cannon. In her home country, South Africa, she became an icon and every young girl’s example of what could be achieved if one dared to dream. With the Miss Universe crown already handed over to her successor, here’s everything we unearthed about the former Miss Universe:

10 Flying The South African Flag High

Zozibini Tunzi joins the long list of South African-born entertainers who her taking over the world, one unique gift at a time. The world, and Hollywood in particular, is opening up to incredibly talented South African acts. Trevor Noah took over The Daily Show and hasn’t stopped since. Pearl Thusi, the lead of Queen Sono on Netflix, had a role in Quantico. Most recently, we got to experience the genius of Thuso Mbedu on The Underground Railroad.

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9 Education Is A Top Priority

Despite being incredibly talented, Zozibini Tuzi knows too well the value of pursuing an education. She attended Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2018, the 27-year-old model graduated with a diploma in public relations management. At the time she was crowned Miss South Africa, Zozibini Tunzi was pursuing a degree in public relations management at the same university.

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8 A Model’s Dream

Modeling, and specifically being crowned as a pageant winner, was Zozibini Tunzi’s dream. In a 2012 Facebook post, Zozibini posted a picture of the reigning Miss World, and captioned it ‘One day is one day.’ In retrospect, a young Zozibini was predicting her own future. That moment would come full circle when, seven years later, her dream came to be, but not without some hiccups along the way.

7 First Attempt At Getting Crowned

In 2017, Zozibini Tunzi entered the Miss South Africa pageant. Asked why she entered the pageant, Zozibini replied, ' I’ve always wanted to be an agent of change. But not just any change, positive and effective change. I’ve always been one to believe that we were all born with gifts and talent and that we’re meant to use these gifts to not only change ourselves but to change other people.’ On her first try, Zozibini did not win but placed amongst the top 26 contestants.

6 The Detour: Presenting On Television

When Zozibini’s modeling dream suffered a setback in 2017, she took a detour by participating in Presenter Search, an SABC 3 run program aimed at finding the next breed of television presenters. During her audition, Zozibini’s powerful words wowed the judges. She said in part:'I love being a woman, even in a supposedly men’s world. After all, Men can’t wear pretty dresses, but we can wear the pants, and look damn good while doing it.’ Her journey in presenting, however, was short-lived.

5 A Last-Minute Audition

After trying out for Miss South Africa the first time, and not making the cut, Zozibini Tunzi was so disappointed. She, however, has the spirit of a fighter. In an Instagram post, Tunzi narrated how she almost missed her second chance at competing in the pageant. She had no intention of competing that year. Beating the deadline proved to be an extreme sport, but she made it, submitting her entry only thirty minutes to closure.

4 Second Time’s A Charm

In the true spirit of never giving up, Zozibini’s efforts bore fruit when the panel of judges declared her Miss South Africa, 2019. At the time, she was only 25 years old, yet so poised and articulate with her delivery. At the event, hosted by television personality and Being Bonang star, Bonang Matheba, Zozibini’s answer to the judge’s question on abuse proved to be the cherry on the cake. She also defied pageantry odds by wearing her natural hair short.

3 Enter Miss Universe, 2019

Following her ‘Miss South Africa’ win, Zozibini was eligible to participate at the Miss Universe Pageant, previously famed in the past for comedian Steve Harvey’s declaration of the wrong winner. Tunzi clinched the crown, going into history records as the first woman of color to win Miss Universe since 2011, and the third overall. The year 2019 also marked one of the rare times that Miss Universe, Miss America, and Miss Teen America, were all women of color.

2 She Is An Avid Reader

It goes without saying that Zozibini’s fluency and delivery stem from education. In addition to being passionate about education, she truly walks the talk by reading. Her main influence as a reader, Zozibini has said in the past, is her grandmother. The very first book she ever got to read, belonged to her grandmother. Through reading, Zozibini says, she feeds her thirst for knowledge.

1 Her Not-So-Hidden Talent: Singing

Should her time as a model come to an end ( not that it will) Zozibini has something to fall back on: Singing. Her voice is angelic and when the tunes start to flow, they do so effortlessly. Through her Instagram account, Zozibini has shared this talent with her followers, who are wowed with her prowess every single time. We’re only counting months before Universal comes knocking. Perhaps we are looking at the next Beyonce and we don’t know it yet.

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