After a year without hosting Miss Botswana due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company that runs the country’s premier pageant, Development Advanced Institute (DAI), says the next queen will be crowned in October and then make a pitch for Miss World on 16 December in Puerto Rico.
Miss World 2021 will be the 70th edition of the pageant.
In 2019, reigning Miss Botswana, Oweditse Phirinyane, went to represent the country at Miss World. Like Miss Botswana 2020, Miss World 2020 was omitted due to the COVID-19 scourge.
But neighbouring South Africa took the leap of faith pulled off what many say was the best pageant last year when Shudufatso Mushida was crowned Miss South Africa 2020. The pageant redefined the new norms and shuttered standards of beauty.
Commenting on this year’s auditions, Phirinyane said: “Instead of a countrywide tour to find our next Miss Botswana, this year’s auditions will strictly be held online through an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide and will be made available on all our social media platforms and website.
“In December, our winning candidate will represent us at the 70th Miss World pageant, which is the home of the Beauty with a Purpose programme. Through this platform, the winner of Miss Botswana will launch and coordinate a humanitarian project and social initiative close to her heart to demonstrate that in addition to being beautiful, Miss Botswana has values and thus promotes love, care and sharing. The project will be showcased on the Miss World stage.”
Echoing these sentiments, Miss Botswana organiser Benjamin Raletsatsi said the pageant is about effecting positive change and equipping the contestants with skills for the purpose. “Miss Botswana is more than a competition of beauty,” Raletsatsi said in an interview. “It is about substance and drive. It is a good platform that belongs to Batswana for young women to initiate meaningful transformation. This revived platform represents a shift to intellectual currency with a framework that stimulates an eco-system of over 38 industries and sub-sectors. It is the face of a new age, new energy and a new future.”
He says Miss Botswana Organisation has not been exempt from COVID-19 challenges. “Emphasis must be placed on the competition’s safety and preventative measures against Botswana’s COVID-19 crisis,” he noted. “We have worked tirelessly to design an incubation strategy that will greatly reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections within our team and the 30 contestants whom we will have in our care.”
Part of their long-term vision is to use valuable content to redefine pageantry in Botswana and to improve Botswana’s relationship with The Miss Botswana Organisation by ensuring complete transparency. “The importance of the social asset that is Miss Botswana is not lost on us,” Raletsatsi said. “We stand here today ready to demonstrate our commitment to continuity. This is to say that we will, now more than ever before, ensure the visibility and social participation of our next Miss Botswana. We stand ready to commit again to the development of 30 exceptional young women.”
MISS BOTSWANA 2020/21 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
A Miss Botswana 2021 applicant must be at least 18 years old but under 25
years of age. However, an applicant can turn 26 within the year of her reign (starting November 2021).
Minimum height requirement is 1.67m
She must be a Motswana citizen and in possession of a valid Botswana Omang ID Card or passport.
The applicant is required to be articulate in both Setswana and English.
The applicant shall not have ever been married (civil or customary) or have had a marriage annulled.
The applicant should not be pregnant, should have given birth to or parented a child and must not be a legal guardian of any minor.
Miss Botswana titleholders are required to remain unmarried throughout their reign.
The applicant should not have any visible tattoos.
