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.
Return next year!!!!
SOUTH AFRICA! 🇿🇦
Miss SA 2025, Gizelle Venske! Pretoria!#MissSA2025 #MissSA pic.twitter.com/rb14RWv8Ip
— Noir (@iloveSouthAhh) October 25, 2025
“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
