Miss South Africa 2025 Pageant Fails to Impress Mzansi with Voting System

• The 2025 Miss South Africa pageant has had several changes, including the judging panel and voting process
• The people of Mzansi were not happy with how the organisation announced their top 10 contestants and thought they could do better
• People online shared their thoughts and highlighted how poorly handled the pageant has been compared to the previous years

This year’s Miss South Africa pageant caused quite a buzz online after they requested contestants to post their audition tapes online. A lot of women were bullied on social media after posting their entry videos on their personal accounts.

South Africans thought the issue was a red flag and lost interest in the pageant. After months of waiting, the top 10 contestants were finally announced on 16 September. The public has seemingly chosen their winner, judging from the comments made on the pageant’s social media posts.

Miss SA announces official top 10 and 2025 judging panel

Although the pageant received negative reviews earlier this year, South Africans were excited to see the list of women who made it into the top 10. The list includes:

• Qhawekazi Mazaleni from the Eastern Cape
• Zanele Phakathi from Gauteng
• Nthabiseng Kgasi from Gauteng
• Luyanda Nonhlelo Zuma from KZN
• Lebohang Msimanga from Gauteng
• Karabo Mareka from Gauteng
• Gizeelle Venske from Gauteng
• Ghee-Ann Rademan from the Western Cape
• Buyisile Mashile from Gauteng
• Bridgette Jobes from the Western Cape

Qhawekazi Mazaleni and Luyanda Zuma are currently the most favoured contestants with thousands of South Africans rooting for them online. Mazaleni also cheered for her big sister, Homba, last year when she competed for the crown in the top 10.

Familiar faces like Bonang Matheba, Anele Mdoda, and Zozibini Tunzi will not be present at this year’s pageant. South Africans were devastated by the news after the judging panel was unveiled on 16 September, which included:

• Ndavi Nokeri
• Devi Sankaree Govender
• Liezel van der Westhuizen

South Africans disappointed by 2025 Miss SA pageant's voting system

Mzansi was not happy with how the Miss SA pageant was conducted this year. The top 30 was not announced, nor was the top 16. The official photoshoot looked nothing like that of the previous year’s, which made fans of the pageant wonder about the seemingly tight budget.

The voting process unsettled many people who learned that they needed to spend money to vote for their favourite candidates. One would need to download the Miss South Africa app or vote on their official website, www.misssa.co.za.

The first vote is free, but one would need to purchase voting bundles to ensure that their favourite contestant goes far in the competition. Here are the voting bundles and their prices:

• R3,99 - 1 VOTE
• R16,99 - 5 VOTES
• R49,99 - 15 VOTES
• R99,99 - 35 VOTES
• R249,99 - 70 VOTES
• R499,99 - 150 VOTES
• R999,99 - 350 VOTES

Voting opened on 23 September and will close on 24 October at 6 pm. The Miss South Africa finale is scheduled to take place on 25 October at the SunBet Arena, Times Square, in Pretoria.

South Africa not pleased with 2025 Miss SA pageant

The people of Mzansi were underwhelmed by this year’s Miss South Africa pageant and said:

@empresshouse_ raised:

“We know the girls have met, but we have no idea what they are up to! We can't even see their personalities, how articulate they are, relatability, how they carry themselves around their sisters and everyone else. Please POST more often. Otherwise, we will be voting for a specific candidate because we know her or come from the same tribe.”

@tiffanyambermoses was disappointed:

“So we are back to the OLDEN days of pageants where we vote based on looks and popularity instead of based on what these contestants can actually do for the country... because we literally know NOTHING about them. Great.”

@snqobile_makhathini was not pleased:

“Voting based on what? Looks? Come on now.”

@that_mj.11 commented:

“How are we supposed to vote when we don't know these girls? How are we supposed to know who is the best based on these photos? Who will represent our country the best? This feels extremely unfair to the girls who didn't get their voices heard at all or even given a chance to show us WHY they must win. I'm sure the winner has already been chosen. Eish MARA!”

@pearl_mbili wrote:

“At this point, I am so defeated, so basically we're voting based on looks. Miss popularity.”

@ofentses shared:

“Who is doing PR? Yho, bathong, please listen to us.”

@bradley_grovers highlighted:

“Also, no official photoshoot yet, please, you were MIA for months, these ladies deserve a proper introduction to South Africa,”

@kaydin.gracee said:

“This year's competition is a mess. I feel so sorry for these girls.”

@_tefelo wondered:

“Where is the budget?”

thorisnapss_ highlighted:

“Did y'all have crown chasers this year? If it were there, I would know who to vote for…Now I don't know that much about the contestants.”

@rochelle_rocs was concerned:

“What happened to the Miss SA live on television? How did it come to this? And based on what did they make the TOP 10?”

@jozee_gregory asked:

“Do you guys think they still have the budget to produce a good show like previous Miss SA editions?”

@sumuptheequation was not pleased:

“What are we voting for exactly, and why are the voting lines open? Are we now voting based on looks only? Do better.”

@sbosh_chauke suggested:

“The girls are beautiful, but we need more than beauty... we want to know you better, your 'why' and so on. Which cause, social issues, or passion project you champion... serve us please.”

See the Instagram post below:

Miss SA pageant responds to rumours of contestant being a bully

Briefly News previously reported that the 28-year-old flight attendant Bridgette Jones had responded to a TikTok video in which she was accused of being a bully. South Africans took to Jones' statement on Wednesday, 17 September 2025, to comment on her post.

Jones commented on a viral video on social media by pageant organiser Kayla Jenecker, which was shared on Tuesday, 16 September 2025. Jones topped social media trends after the accusations were made.

Source: Briefly News