Strictly embargoed until 19h00 Tuesday 23 February Media release ENHLE IS THE NEW CROWN FOR THE MISS SOUTH AFRICA PAGEANT ________________________________________ Johannesburg, February 23: When Miss South Africa 2016 is announced at Carnival City on March 19 she will be crowned with a brand new glittering masterpiece worthy of her prestigious title. Sun International, in collaboration with Cell C, has unveiled a magnificent crown named Enhle, especially created for the dazzling occasion by Jack Friedman Jewellers. The name, which means "beautiful one" in isiZulu, was chosen through a social media competition which attracted hundreds of entries. A key feature of the crown, which is made of silver, is the inclusion of an infinity sign to symbolise the enormity and ongoing nature of Miss South Africa’s role, not only during her year of reign but into the future. The crown’s three largest stones are sugilite (also called luvulite and sold as the stone of love) which are often associated with royalty thanks to their purple colour. These were mined near Hotazel in the Northern Cape. Other stones used in the crown are amethyst and white quartz crystals. Says Howard Friedman, designer of the crown and owner of Jack Friedman Jewellers: “We chose the materials used in Enhle to be symbolic of Miss South Africa’s reign. Sugilite is believed to have protective and healing properties. We hope that it will keep her safe during her reign as well as help her unite our nation. Amethyst is a stone that works in the emotional, physical and spiritual planes to provide calm, balance, patience and peace.” Says Claudia Henkel, PR Manager: Sun International: “The crown is a real show- stopper and worthy of Miss South Africa. While it is eye-catching and beautiful, it is also a practical headpiece. This prestigious crown will be worn by a young woman who truly deserves it and we at Sun International look forward to the crowning.” Suzette van der Merwe, Managing Executive of the Cell C Foundation says: “The names of all former Miss South Africa title holders are going to be engraved on the crown, so that the history of Miss South Africa over the decades carries on through this crown.” The 12 women who are vying to wear Enhle are Elizabeth Molapo (Bloemfontein, Free State); Felicia Muwayi (Nelspruit, Mpumalanga); Luyolo Mngonyama (Umtata, Eastern Cape); Marciel Hopkins (Paarl, Western Cape); Mikaela Oosthuizen (Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape); Ntandoyenkosi Kunene (Mkhondo, Mpumalanga); Reabetswe Sechoaro (Pretoria East, Gauteng); Ronette Chambers (Cape Town, Western Cape); Sarah Botes (Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng); Schané Venter (Alberton, Gauteng); Sharon-Rose Khumalo (Pretoria, Gauteng) and Tayla Skye Robinson (Roodepoort, Gauteng). The Miss South Africa pageant will be televised on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) and Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) from 17h00 to 19h00. Jack Friedman Jewellers also designed the previous Miss South Africa Palesa crown which was first worn by Rolene Strauss who went onto become Miss World. Go to: ! Website: www.misssa.co.za ! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MsSouthAfrica ! Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_MissSA ! http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMissSAPageant NOTES FOR EDITORS Meet the 12 finalists vying for the Miss South Africa 2016 title: ELIZABETH MOLAPO (23) – BLOEMFONTEIN, FREE STATE Elizabeth is a final year BCom Economics student at the University of the Free State. Her passion, she says, lies with women’s development, empowerment and independence, adding that she has been shaped by the community in which she grew up, and hopes to be a role model and a mentor to women like her. Elizabeth admires strong, independent women like Khanyi Dhlomo, a businesswoman who is also a brand. Her message to girls and young women: “Strive for empowerment and independence, dream big and realize that your dream is yours to make a reality.” FELICIA MUWAYI (24) – NELSPRUIT, MPUMALANGA Felicia is a production manager at Red Pepper Pictures in Johannesburg. She believes that Miss South Africa is not just about glitz and glamour, but about working to affect change. Felicia’s role models include her father, whose drive to make a better life for his family has left her awed and grateful, and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela whose strength and resilience inspires her. In her spare time, Felicia watches sports channels and records clips of herself to improve her craft as an aspiring sports anchor. Her message to girls and young women: “Mindset over matter – always. Go out there, push, persist, persevere and defy the odds.” LUYOLO MNGONYAMA (24) – UMTATA, EASTERN CAPE Luyolo is a third year BA student at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, majoring in psychology and sociology. Also an interviewer at the TB and HIV Care Association, Luyolo hopes to instil in young minds love, charity and ambition and would like to use the Miss South Africa platform to do just that. Her role model is her aunt Nobuntu Mngonyama who she describes as “a God-fearing woman who grew up with nothing and made a success of her life, which she now shares with others.” In her spare time, Luyolo knits. Her message to girls and young women: “It’s your attitude, not your aptitude that determines your altitude. Situation or wealth won’t determine your success – your attitude will.” MARCIEL HOPKINS (22) – PAARL, CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE Marciel is a psychology honours student from Stellenbosch. She wants to be Miss South Africa so that she can involve herself in education, focusing on skills development. She is inspired by strong women such as Angelina Jolie and Caster Semenya. She loves running and reading in her spare time. Her message to young women: “Never let people talk you out of your dreams. You had a purpose before anyone had an opinion. If you want something, make it happen. Never limit yourself by the belief system of others.” MIKAELA OOSTHUIZEN (20) – PORT ELIZABETH, EASTERN CAPE Mikaela Oosthuizen is a second year BA Media student. Inspired by Miss World Rolene Strauss, she wants to use the Miss South Africa platform to advance the importance of education to all South Africans. She has a strong message for other young women: “You cannot act like cheap flip- flops and expect to be treated like an expensive Louis Vuitton. Value yourself, educate yourself and don’t let anyone treat you in a way that diminishes you.” The one thing she cannot do, she says, is ride a bicycle. Otherwise the sky is the limit and with hard work anything is achievable. NTANDOYENKOSI KUNENE (23) – MKHONDO, MPUMALANGA Ntandoyenkosi is an Education Honours student at the University of the Witwatersrand. Like the women produced by the Miss SA brand in the last 50 years, she wants to make an appreciable difference to the society in which she lives. Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, the first black woman to obtain a PhD in Mathematics Education and who also runs an Adopt-A-Learner foundation, is an inspiration to Ntandoyenkosi. In her spare time, she loves going to the movies or meeting up with “my girls” for a meal. Her message to girls and young women: “Most women succeed against all odds. I say start writing your own story.” REABETSWE SECHOARO (21) – PRETORIA EAST, GAUTENG Reabetswe is a second year BCom Accounting Science student at Unisa, and a model. She believes that the woman who gets to wear the Miss SA crown has the platform to make a difference in the lives of those who are most vulnerable. Coco Chanel, who said “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different” is Reabetswe’s role model. In her spare time, she does Pilates and spinning. Her message to girls and young women: “We should stand united and not try to pull each other down. If we encourage each other, we can all reach our potential.” RONETTE CHAMBERS (27) – CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE Ronette Chambers from Cape Town is an international television presenter (co-host of the Capgemini Super Techies Show, season 3 Mumbai India/Paris France). She is also the founding director at Touch of Life International Foundation, an NPO that serves as a medical aid for disabled, vulnerable orphaned children. She’s also in her second year of a BCom Law degree at Unisa. She would like to use the Miss SA title to be a driving force for change through partnerships with NPOs that tackle humanitarian challenges in South Africa. Her role model is her mother “who always stays true to herself”. She loves spending her spare time at the beach. Her message to girls and young women: “You were given this life to serve a purpose. Your dreams have been uniquely designed to fit your life.” SARAH BOTES (22) – VANDERBIJLPARK, GAUTENG Sarah, who is a BCom Honours student in Industrial Psychology at Unisa, wants to contribute to the pageant's legacy of beauty with a purpose and being a voice for the voiceless. Sarah’s role model is renowned businesswoman, Maria Ramos because “her testimony inspires me to be bold and to dream big.” Sarah would love to meet Trevor Noah who she thinks is charming, funny and relatable. In her spare time she loves going out for sushi or listening to “anything from Taylor Swift to Chris Brown.” Her message to girls and young women: “We are not racing against each other; we are running this race together. It’s time we started celebrating and encouraging one another.” SCHANÉ VENTER (23) – ALBERTON, GAUTENG Schané, a production assistant at a digital marketing agency, believes that she can inspire young women to live their dreams and believe that anything is possible if one works hard enough. Inspired by members of her own family and Rolene Strauss, she is a cappuccino lover who also loves trying local markets.