Zozibini Tunzi Biography: Reign, #HandsOffZozi, Age, Family, Career, Miss Universe, The Future - Updated 19th, June 2020

In August 2019 Zozibini Tunzi’s life changed when she was crowned Miss South Africa 2019.

The incredible prizes, the fame and a new natural hair icon, Zozibini is a star in the making.

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This is her biography.

The burning question on everyone's lips about the Miss Universe 2020 crowning, has always been will they extend Zozibini Tunzi's reign or not?

Speaking to Somizi last night in honor of the Pride Month, Zozibini said they do not know yet about what is going to happen with her crown.

Somizi asked her about how is she going to do her crowning in 2020 and, whether she does not think that they should extend her reign.

Zozibini jokingly said he must also help and maybe draft an email to the Miss Universe team, to tell them that they should extend her reign.

"We actually do not know what is going to happen yet with the crowning, so we are all still waiting and crossing fingers", said the beauty queen. 

The viral hashtag #HandsOffZozi had people all over social media defending the beauty queen for her old Facebook posts.

This comes after Bianca's old racist and mean tweets were brought to light, and as Miss Universe, Zozibini felt that she had to take responsibility for her actions.

Zozibini made a video of her apologising for these posts and others saying she is not proud of herself.

"When it hit me, I was taken aback. When I read those things, I thought surely I'm human and there must have been mistakes, you know, that I’ve made. I can’t really be as perfect as I’m made out to be,"

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Zozibini took responsibility for her actions and Mzansi being the good people that they are, they forgave her.

Also read: Former Miss SA Hopeful Bianca Schoombee Dropped By Modelling Agency

Zozibini was born in the Eastern Cape village Tsolo, on 18 September 1993. She is 26 years old.

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She is her parents' mother Philiswa Nadapu and father Lungisa Tunzi’s second child.

She has an older sister Yanga, and two younger sisters Sibabalwe and Ayakha, who she calls her best friends.

Her parents shared their love for education with their children from a young age. Her mother is a school principal, while Zozibini’s father works in Pretoria at the Department of Higher Learning.

Zozibini, who calls her parents her role models, has applied this foundation and love for education to her own life. She completed her schooling in Dutywa, before moving to Cape Town to pursue her tertiary studies at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

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For her primary education, Zozibini attended the Canaan Academy in Dutywa, Eastern Cape. 

With a degree in public relations, Zozibini was a graduate intern at popular advertising agency Ogilvy, just before her life changed as a Miss South Africa winner.

Zozibini took a step into the spotlight in 2018, when she entered the reality TV show Presenter Search on 3. Although she didn’t make it, she was destined for the spotlight, she just had to wait a little bit longer.

On 9 August 2019, National Women’s Day, Zozibini made her return to the ramp at the 61st Miss South Africa beauty pageant.

She had previously entered the pageant in 2017, where she made it to the Top 26 finalists. And in 2015, she was crowned Miss Mamelodi Sundowns.

At the 2019 beauty pageant, which saw an all-female judging panel including former Miss South Africa and Miss Universe winner Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, and current Miss Universe holder Catriona Gray, Zozibini impressed the judges and South Africa alike.

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With a new crown, Zozibini ushered in her reign with fantastic prizes including a Mercedes-Benz cabriolet, and a R5-million furnished Sandton apartment, for the course of her reign. She admitted to not having a driver’s license at the time of her crowning, so she’s probably using a chauffeur to get around in her sleek car.

Almost two weeks after her crowning, Zozibini returned to her home, to a royal welcome. Everyone came out to celebrate our Queen.

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After her crowning moment, Zozibini spoke on her passion to address education and poverty alleviation, especially as her home province was so affected by these social ills.

She’s also made a point of addressing gender-based violence, launching a social media campaign, which didn’t go down to well with the people on social media, who have running commentary on just about anything.

And it’s probably the same people on social media, who didn’t have any kind words to say of Zozibini’s national costume, that she’ll wear for the Miss Universe pageant.

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During her crowning in August, Zozibini was also named as the contestant to represent the country at the annual Miss Universe contest in mid-December 2019. The Miss South Africa 2019 runner-up Sasha-Lee Olivier will represent Mzansi at Miss World 2019.

The Miss Universe pageant is taking place in Atlanta, Georgia, at the newly opened Tyler Perry Studios.

Zozibini made a splash on the Miss Universe website, when her biography was published and her photo showed her hair wrapped in a beautiful, green doek – the only contestant whose head was covered.

And it didn’t take Zozibini long to make friends with the other contestants. She’s a firm favourite to walk away with the crown, and even with her busy schedule of dress fittings and rehearsals, she continued to share her exciting time with her social media following.

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And she quickly found an Instagram photographer in her roommate, Miss Nigeria Olutosin Ifohan Araromi.

Zozibini’s trip to the Miss Universe beauty pageant wasn’t her first trip to the US – two months earlier she took her first international trip to New York City.

With a jam-packed programme, the highlight was undoubtedly stepping onto the catwalk at the very fashionable New York Fashion Week.

She joined Demi-Leigh for the Spring-Summer ’20 collection of Maxhosa, the fashion label by fellow Eastern Cape designer Laduma Ngxokolo.

His collection, which was called Kings and Queens, was shown alongside Mozambican designer Eliana Morary.

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Zozibini opened the show in a stunning gown inspired by the Nguni and Mbo ethnic groups – and the music she walked down the runway with was a choral version of the South African national anthem. A goose bump moment if ever there was one.

South Africans could not have woken up to happier news that their very own Zozibini Tunzi had been crowned Miss Universe 2019!

The Eastern Cape beauty queen was crowned during the beauty peagant and beat off Mexico and Puerto Rico to claim the title.

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Not only did she wow us with her amazing looks, but she commanded the universe's attention with her eloquent, intelligent and powerful answers.

Her inspiring closing speech drew a strong reaction from the crowds and fans and undoubtedly secured her spot as the winner.

Her crowning as Miss South Africa and her natural beauty and charisma has made Zozibini sought after. She was announced as the face of the Sun Met 2020, alongside businesswoman and personality Bonang Matheba. The Sun Met is one of Mzansi’s most impressive horse-racing events.

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She was also gifted R1 000 by TV star and media darling Somizi, after the Springboks victory at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

This was after Somizi made a lengthy statement on his Instagram page about gifting the next Xhosa person he sees IRL, with some money. And it just so happened that after this post, he bumped into the beautiful Zozibini at a local mall and stayed true to his word.

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