Miss South Africa, Zozibini Tunzi, was crowned Miss Universe 2019 in Atlanta this past Sunday.
Tunzi competed against more than 90 women from across the globe. She is a strong advocate for women’s empowerment, diversity, climate change and an activist against gender violence.
The 26-year-old’s life has already been dramatically changed since winning the pageant, having already moved from South Africa to New York just 3 days after she took the crown.
During the Miss Universe event host Steve Harvey posed a very important question to contestants: “What is the most important thing we should be teaching young girls today?” Tunzi’s response was one that stood out the most. She replied with “Leadership.” After a roaring response from the crowd she followed that response with “I think we are the most powerful beings on the world and that we should be given every opportunity, that is what we should be teaching these young girls to take up space. Nothing is as important as taking up space in society and cementing yourself.”
For the first time in history the crowns for the four most major pageants (Miss America, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA) all belong to black women. During the competition Tunzi wore her hair in its natural state, stating that this was “”a symbol of my firm belief in fair representation.”
After her big win Tunzi took to Instagram to express her gratitude. Credit: Instagram
Tunzi hopes to be an inspiration for all the girls out there who resemble her.