Zozibini Tunzi

Zozibini Tunzi (born 18 September 1993), also known as Zozi Tunzi, is a South African model, actress and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe 2019.[1] Tunzi had previously been crowned Miss South Africa 2019. She is the third woman from South Africa and the first black South African woman to win the title.[2]

Zozibini Tunzi
Tunzi in 2020
Born (1993-09-18) 18 September 1993
Tsolo, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Alma materCape Peninsula University of Technology
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title
Hair colorBlack
Eye colorBrown
Major
competition(s)

Early life

Tunzi was born in Tsolo, Eastern Cape to parents Philiswa Nodapu and Lungisa Tunzi, and raised in the nearby village of Sidwadweni.[3][4] Tunzi is one of four sisters.[5] She later moved to Cape Town, settling in the Gardens suburb, in order to attend Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She graduated with a National Diploma in public relations management in 2018.[6][7] In 2017, Tunzi worked as a model and lived in East London, Eastern Cape.[8]

Prior to winning Miss South Africa, Tunzi was completing a Bachelor of Technology graduate degree in public relations management at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and worked as a graduate intern in the public relations department of Ogilvy Cape Town.[9][10]

Pageantry

Miss South Africa 2019
Tunzi meeting with Bambang Soesatyo and Wishnutama Kusubandio in Jakarta.

Tunzi began her pageantry career in 2017, when she was accepted as one of the top 26 semifinalists of Miss South Africa 2017.[11] She returned to pageantry to compete in Miss South Africa 2019. On 26 June 2019, Tunzi was confirmed as one of the top 35 semifinalists of the competition, among initial applications.[12] After further auditions, Tunzi was announced as one of the sixteen finalists on 11 July.[7][13]

After being selected as one of the finalists, Tunzi went on to compete in the Miss South Africa 2019 pageant in Pretoria on 9 August.[14] She progressed through the stages of the final, advancing to the top ten, then top five, and finally the top two until she was crowned the winner by predecessor Tamaryn Green, beating runner-up Sasha-Lee Olivier.[15][16]

Following her win, Tunzi received prizes including R1 million, a new car, and a fully furnished apartment in the Sandton neighbourhood of Johannesburg, which is valued at R5 million, for her to use throughout her reign.[17] The achievement allowed Tunzi to represent South Africa at the Miss Universe 2019 competition.[16]

Miss Universe 2019
Tunzi crowning Ayu Maulida as Puteri Indonesia 2020.

Tunzi arrived in Atlanta, Georgia for Miss Universe 2019 in November 2019.[18] She competed in the preliminaries on 6 December, and competed in the finals on 8 December at Tyler Perry Studios. During the competition, Tunzi advanced to the top twenty as the first semifinalist for the Africa/Asia-Pacific continental region. She then advanced to the top ten, then the top five, and ultimately the final three. By the end of the event, Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe 2019 by outgoing titleholder Catriona Gray of the Philippines, beating first runner-up Madison Anderson of Puerto Rico and second runner-up Sofía Aragón of Mexico.[19][20][21]

Tunzi's win is South Africa's third Miss Universe winner; she is the first black woman to win the Miss Universe title since Leila Lopes was crowned Miss Universe 2011, and the first to do so with afro-textured hair.[22] With her win, 2019 became the first year that all four major United States-based pageants were won by black women; other titleholders were Nia Franklin (Miss America 2019), Kaliegh Garris (Miss Teen USA 2019), and Cheslie Kryst (Miss USA 2019).[23] Additionally, 2019 would also become the first year that black women won the two most prestigious international pageants after Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica later won Miss World 2019.[24][25]

As Miss Universe, Tunzi lived in New York City, and took part in a number of events and appearances throughout the world.[26] After winning Miss Universe, Tunzi was succeeded as Miss South Africa by her first runner-up Sasha-Lee Olivier.[27]

In her capacity as Miss Universe, Tunzi traveled to Sumba[28][29][30] and Jakarta in Indonesia,[31][32][33][34] various cities within the United States[35] and her home country of South Africa.[36]

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Tunzi became the longest reigning Miss Universe titleholder of 525 days (1 year, 5 months and 8 days), surpassing Lopes' reign of 464 days on 16 March 2021, and her reign came to an end on 16 May 2021, crowning Andrea Meza of Mexico as her successor in Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida, United States.[37]

Post Miss Universe

Tunzi made her acting debut in the film The Woman King, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, and released on 16 September 2022.[38]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2022 The Woman King Efe [38]

References
  1. Njoku, Benjamin (13 May 2023). "Miss Universe 2019, Zozibini Tunzi, IK Osakioduwa to co-host AMVCA". Vanguard News. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  2. "Zozibini Tunzi jadi Miss Universe, bagaimana pengalaman perempuan berkulit hitam di kontes kecantikan?". BBC News Indonesia. 15 December 2019.
  3. Wilson, Samantha (8 December 2019). "Zozibini Tunzi: 5 Things To Know AboutMiss Universe 2019". Hollywood Life. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  4. "Women's Day messages from Miss SA finalists". IOL. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  5. Walsh, S.M. (8 December 2019). "Zozibini Tunzi, Miss Universe 2019: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  6. "Everything we know about your new Miss South Africa – Zozibini Tunzi". Sierra Leone Times. 10 August 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  7. Richardson, James (11 July 2019). "Miss South Africa 2019: Meet the 16 finalists – pictures". The South African. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  8. "Zozibini Tunzi". Miss South Africa. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  9. "Zozibini Tunzi – Miss SA Top 16 Finalist". Miss South Africa. 16 July 2019.
  10. "Diploma and Degrees". Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Retrieved 9 August 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  11. Prince, Shanaaz (10 August 2019). "Miss SA 2017 Semi-Finalists revealed!". Retrieved 10 August 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  12. Prince, Shanaaz (26 June 2019). "Meet your top 35 Miss SA finalists!". Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  13. Mazibuko, Thobile (19 July 2019). "Meet the Miss SA 2019 finalists". IOL. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  14. "Uncertainty over: Miss SA pageant is set to continue". 12 May 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  15. Richardson, James (9 August 2019). "Miss South Africa 2019 is Zozibini Tunzi from the Eastern Cape". The South African.
  16. Zeeman, Kyle (9 August 2019). "Zozibini Tunzi crowned Miss SA 2019". Times Live. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  17. "Miss SA Zozibini Tunzi moves into her new R5m home". Big News Network. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  18. Bhengu, Cebelihle (2 December 2019). "Look! Miss SA, Zozibini Tunzi, is living her best life in Atlanta". Times Live. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  19. DeSantis, Rachel (8 December 2019). "Miss South Africa Zozibini Tunzi Crowned Miss Universe 2019". People.Retrieved 10 December 2019
  20. Lapin, Tamar (8 December 2019). "Miss South Africa Zozibini Tunzi crowned Miss Universe 2019". New York Post.Retrieved 10 December 2019
  21. Morin, Alyssa (9 December 2019). "Miss South Africa Zozibini Tunzi Is Crowned Miss Universe 2019". E!. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  22. "Miss South Africa Zozibini Tunzi Crowned Miss Universe". Okay Africa. 8 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  23. Harmata, Claudia (10 December 2019). "Making History: Current Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss America, Miss Teen USA Are All Black Women". People. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  24. "Miss Jamaica crowned Miss World 2019". 15 December 2019.
  25. Zaveri, Mihir (15 December 2019). "Black Women Now Hold Crowns in 5 Major Beauty Pageants". The New York Times.
  26. Maxouris, Christina (8 December 2019). "Miss South Africa crowned 2019 Miss Universe". CNN News. Retrieved 10 December 2019
  27. Coetzee, Nikita (17 January 2020). "Sasha-Lee Olivier on taking over the Miss SA crown and having the courage to speak about surviving sexual abuse". Channel 24.
  28. "The pics of Zozibini Tunzi exploring Indonesia proves she really is *our* Miss Universe". Cosmopolitan South Africa. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  29. Coetzee, Nikita (27 January 2020). "PICS: Zozibini Tunzi explores Indonesia". Channel. Channel 24 South Africa by News 24. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  30. "Queen of the universe Zozibini Tunzi is 'daydreaming of home'". The South African. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  31. "Puteri Indonesia Is Expected To Continue To Promote Tourism And The Country's Creative Economy". Ministry of Tourism (Indonesia). 11 March 2020.
  32. "PUTERI INDONESIA LOOK: Pia Wurtzbach meets Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  33. "PUTERI INDONESIA: Zozibini Tunzi, Sireethorn Leearamwat et Antonnia Porsild sont arrivées à Jakarta" (in French). missitems.be. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  34. "PUTERI INDONESIA LOOK: Pia Wurtzbach finally meets Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi". GMA Network (company). Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  35. USA: South Africa"s Zozibini Tunzi wins Miss Universe 2019, retrieved 7 February 2020
  36. "This is when and where you can meet Miss Universe, Zozibini Tunzi, in SA". Channel. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  37. Nolasco, Stephanie (13 May 2021). "Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi on how she dealt with social media trolls: 'I am strong, but I'm still human'". Fox News. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  38. D'Alessandro, Anthony (5 November 2021). "Sony Dates TriStar Viola Davis Pic The Woman King; Moves Affirm's George Foreman Biopic To 2023". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
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