Table of Contents
EARLY LIFE
- Tunzi was bornon 18 september 1993 in Tsolo, Eastern Cape to parents Philiswa Nadapu and Lungisa Tunzi, and raised in the nearby village of Sidwadweni.
- Tunzi is one of three sisters. She later moved to Cape Town to attend Cape Peninsula University of Technology, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and image management in 2018.
- In 2017, Tunzi was working as a model and living in East London
MISS SOUTH AFRICA
- Tunzi began her pageantry career in 2017, when she was accepted as one of the top 26 semifinalists of Miss South Africa 2017, although she was not selected as one of the twelve finalists.
- She returned to pageantry to compete in Miss South Africa 2019. After further auditions, Tunzi was announced as one of the sixteen finalists on 11 July.
- 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.
MISS SOUTH AFRICA
- 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.
- The achievement allowed Tunzi to represent South Africa at the Miss Universe 2019 competition.
MISS UNIVERSE 2019
- Tunzi arrived in Atlanta, Georgia for Miss Universe 2019 in November 2019. 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, besting first runner-up Madison Anderson of Puerto Rico and second runnerup Sofía Aragón of Mexico.
MISS UNIVERSE 2019
- Tunzi’s win is South Africa’s third Miss Universe crown; During the final round, the top three were each asked the same question: “What is the most important thing we should teach young girls today?”To which Tunzi replied:
- I think the most important thing we should be teaching young girls today is leadership. It’s something that has been lacking in young girls and women for a very long time, not because we don’t want to but because of what society has labelled women to be. I think we are the most powerful beings in the world and that we should be given every opportunity and 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, thank you.
MISS UNIVERSE 2019
- As Miss Universe, some of her benefits include a yearlong salary thought to be worth more than $100 000 (around R1,475 million), a luxury apartment in New York City, a modelling portfolio by some of the best fashion photographers as well as free dental services, skincare consultations and the services of professional nutritionists.
- Her Miss Universe crown also comes with personal styling by the official Miss Universe Organization fashion stylist.