Kiwi from the Karoo comes back as a queen

SA-born beauty brought up in Somerset West aims to lift Miss World crown for New Zealand

One of South Africa's prettiest white exports returned home to try to lay claim to the title of the most beautiful woman in the world.

Magdalena Schoeman, 19, left South Africa as a six-year-old and arrived at OR Tambo International Airport as Miss New Zealand, along with over 100 beauty queens, for the finals of the Miss World pageant in Johannesburg next month.

(left) - Magdalena Schoeman - (right)

Schoeman was brought up in Somerset West, outside Cape Town, and has always maintained close ties with the folk of Oudtshoorn, where her father, Fanie, grew up and where her Oupa, also Fanie, 85, still lives.

Next to ostrich feathers and leather, the leggy model has become the Little Karoo's most famous export, which may cause divided loyalties when she goes up against Miss South Africa Tatum Keshwar on December 12.

Above -- this baie mooi meisie is Magdalena Schoeman, this year’s Miss New Zealand; with granddad Fanie, 86 in Oudtshoorn.

Schoeman's smile for photographers masked her concern over one of her bags, containing her national outfit, make-up, shoes and New Zealand soccer shirt, that had gone missing.

(left) - Tatum Keshwar -- (right) - Magdalena Schoeman

In an interview, Dalena - as she is affectionately known to family and friends - said she still missed traditional South African "braais, melktert and koeksisters".

"Fortunately, the South African population in New Zealand has grown and there are shops that sell biltong and Simba chips," she said.

She still maintains contact with her best friend from pre-school in Somerset West and when she's at home with her parents in Christchurch, they speak Afrikaans.

(Left) - Tatum Keshwar - (right)

The Miss World contest, now in its 59th year, will be broadcast live on SABC3, starting at 5pm on December 12.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

 
Top