Johannesburg – Entries for the 2019 edition of the Miss South Africa pageant officially opened in mid-May, and hundreds of applications have already been submitted by young hopefuls.
The pageant, which recently announced a new major sponsor after losing funding from Cell C, will take place on Women's Day this year (9 August), and according to a press statement the organisation is already expecting a record number of entries, with 300 submissions received thus far (at the time of publishing).
"It seems likely that a record number of entries will be recorded this year. Last year, just short of 500 young women entered the pageant despite entry process being opened for a much longer period," the statement reads.
With the entry process made "as easy as possible" hopefuls no longer have to download a form but can easily fill one in online and submit images thereafter. And, unlike in previous years, candidates do not have to travel to regional auditions this time around.
Stephanie Weil of the Miss South Africa Organisation explains: "We wanted the reach to be wider this year and give young women from any region of the country the opportunity to take part." Entries for the pageant close on 10 June.