Zozibini Tunzi beat out nearly 90 other women from various countries and territories to win the 2019 Miss Universe pageant on Sunday night.
Tunzi, 26, is a public relations professional and activist whose platform is largely based on her fight against gender-based violence.
She takes over the Miss Universe title from Catriona Gray from the Philippines, who won the title last year.
The new #MissUniverse2019 is… SOUTH AFRICA!!!! 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/gRW8vcuT3A
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 9, 2019
Miss Puerto Rico was the first runner up while Miss Mexico also made it to the final three. The final three’s on-stage question was: “What is the most important thing you should be teaching young girls today?”
“I grew up in a world where a woman who looks like me — with my kind of skin and my kind of hair — was never considered to be beautiful,” Tunzi said in her last response. “I think it is time that that stops today. I want children to look at me and see my face and I want them to see their faces reflected in mine.”
