Miss SA: Public call for return of Gizelle Venske alleging she was robbed

by Sergio Miller

After much anticipation, the annual Miss South Africa beauty pageant made its long-awaited return to local television screens.

The grand finale took place on Saturday at the Sunbet Arena in Pretoria, where South Africans saw the crowning of Qhawekazi Mazaleni.

The 24-year-old managed to beat out stiff competition in the form of Luyanda Zuma and Karabo Mareka, who were placed first and second runners-up.

Qhawekazi is the second person in her family to achieve a long run in the prestigious competition. This comes after her older sister, Homba Mazaleni, reached the top 5 in 2023.

While many shared in her joy in the evening, others could not help but feel a sense of disappointment towards another one of the contestants, Gizelle Venske.

This comes after the 27-year-old chartered accountant fell short of reaching the top 3 of the competition.

The former Miss Varsity Cup ambassador found a special place in the hearts of viewers after advocating for financial literacy – a topic many often overlook.

Taking to social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), several users expressed their disappointment regarding how the competition panned out, while calling for her to return next year.

“She was so good! This is why we need proper judges! She had the best answer out of all contestants,” wrote one user.

Another added: “She would’ve made the perfect Miss Universe South Africa, please come back queen, you won hearts today.”

Also see: Luyanda Zuma’s Miss SA Loss Sparks Social Media Storm