71ST MISS WORLD: AT THE HOMESTRETCH -- AFRICA (PART 2)

 

MOROCCO - Sonia Aït Mansour.  It's nice to see this country back in this pageant after an absence of 56 years (they last competed in 1968)   She seems to be a solid, polished, and attractive-enough contender, but her sole highlight in this festival is making the shortlist in the Sports challenge.

NAMIBIA - Leone van Jaarsveld.  She's a gorgeous, well-spoken Caucasian blonde who only figured in the "homely" fast-track event of Sports.  Considering the abundance of strong contenders from this continent this year, would her skin color be a disadvantage and make her miss the Top 40?

NIGERIA - Ada Eme.  She secured her Top 40 slot by being among the five Head-to-Head Challenge finalists, and she also figured in Top Model, so I'm bullish about her prospects making the Top 12 and possibly even beyond.  She seems to have what it takes to make that big a splash.

SENEGAL - Fatou L'Eau.  She seems to have brought a whole bunch of wigs and hair accessories with her as her hairstyle looks very different in almost every appearance--most especially Top Model, where she sported an Afro wig during the designer dress round, and then in the standard top model round she sported straight hair.  That could've been a possible ticket to being shortlisted in Top Model, but she fell short.

SIERRA LEONE - Daisy Princess Mujeh Abdulai.  I don't find her conventionally pretty, but she exudes a likeable vibe.  She hasn't figured in any fast-track and with a deep bench like this year turned out to be, she might just end up as a worthwhile contender at most.

SOMALIA - Bahja Mohamoud.  It's quite interesting that during the Opening Ceremony, she let her hair be exposed, though she does still sport a small veil on top of her head.  But later on she kept the hijabi look that we now expect from contestants from this country.  I'm not as bullish if she'll be able to mimim the Top 13 finish of her predecessor, Khadija Omar especially as she didn't figure in any fast-track even and neither did her Miss World page was hopelessly threadbare--not even an itnroduction video or BWAP video.

SOUTH AFRICA - Claude Mashego.  This country is normally a powerouse in this pageant especially with three crowns to its belt, but it's interesting that buzz is relatively muted for this lady.  Sure, she made the Top 25 in Head-to-Head, made the shortlist in Sports, and made the initial Top 23 in Talent.  Yes, she's clearly overshadowed by BOTSWANA, but other Africans seem to be rising from the woodwork that like her predecessor, Shudufhadzo Musida, the Top 40 is as far as she could conceivably go.

SOUTH SUDAN - Arek Abraham Albino Atol.  It's quite interesting that on the Miss World website, she was identified with the surname "Atol" when she never mentioned tat name in her introduction video.  I don't find er conventiontionally pretty but she was very well-spoken in her introduction video, and with cosmopolitan muzak playing she exudes an upscale, urbanized cosmopolitan side of her country.  With the fierce photos I saw from her Top Model appearance, I have a feeling she missed the cut for her region by only a few slivers.  She did figure in the "homely" fast-track of Sports.

TANZANIA - Halima Kopwil.  I find her great looking and although she missed in most fast-track challenges, she snagged a finalist slot in what is increasingly the most important criteria in this pageant--her BWAP project addressing the issues of high childbirth mortality in her country.  This is most likely her ticket to make it into te Top 40.

TOGO - Chimène Moladja.  I'm slightly surprised that she made the shortlist in Top Model as I would've probably selected the likes of SENEGAL, SOUTH SUDAN or ZIMBABWE in her place, but she seemed to make a significant transformation in the final round by putting her hair up after being called into the Top 20.

TUNISIA - Imen Mehrzi.  She's only one of three light-skinned contestants from this continent (the others being MOROCCO and NAMIBIA) and she's a good looking woman who has a multifaceted background being an engineering graduate and pursuing a showbiz career as an actress, TV presenter, and singer.  The latter aspect was what made her stand out and she won the Talent fast-track with her singing--she performed Adele's James Bond theme, "Skyfall"--it's such a shame it seems YouTube muted her performance in the available audience-cam Talent gala video.

UGANDA - Hannah Karema Tumukunde.  She's in the same boat as TANZANIA, as she's a great-looking lady who only figured in the most important fast-track, BWAP.  Her project, in fact, became rated ast the best from the African continent--it's about her advocacy toward empowering girls with education to prevent the endemic practice of child marriages, which is more compelling as she has a personal stake in it as she was raised by a single father and had a bunch of sisters who were caught in the societal pressures to be married off even if in modern conventions this is reprehensible.  It looks like a Top 40 spot is securerd but could she advance even further to the Top 12 and beyond?

ZIMBABWE - Nokutenda Marumbwa.  She secured her Top 40 spot early on by becoming one of the five finalistrs in the Head-to-Head challenge.  She seems to be a strong all-around contender who can possibly make a play for the Top 12.

COMING UP:  EUROPE (BELGIUM to ITALY)

71ST MISS WORLD: AT THE HOMESTRETCH -- AFRICA (PART 1)

 

Up until the mid-1980s, you could count the number of contestants from this continent competing in this pageant with the fingers in one hand.  But as the roster of this pageant progressively grew over the years, the contestants from this continent almost grew correspondingly.  However, it doesn't necessarily mean that the biggest African turnout was during the time of the biggest overall turnout--in 2013, though there were a record 127 contestants and Africa's turnout of 22 wsa impressive, their biggest turnout was actually in 2017 where among 118 total delegates there were 25 from this continent.  And even with a slight overall reduction of contestants to 112 this year, this is the year that this continent delivered its record turnout as it fielded 26.  And contestants from this continent has emerged to be increasinly competitive especially with their mix of overachieving, articulate, and committed  ladies for their advocacies, that they are bringing forth some major crown contenders, especially one particular lady who was making a major splash in almost all the fast-track events.

ANGOLA - Florinda José.  She's a great looking lady who unfortunatly doesn't seem to have any social media savvy or support as her own page on the Miss World site was threadbare without even an introduction video or BWAP video.  She failed to figure in any fast-track event so she's very much an also-ran.

BOTSWANA - Lesego Chombo.  She seems to be following the trajectory of the last edition's 2nd runner-up from Cote D'Ivoire, Olivia Yace, as she's a dominant presence in the fast-track events.  First, she secured her Top 40 slot by being one of the five winners of the Head-to-Head challenge.  She also was the top African performer in Top Model, her BWAP project (called the Genesis Project, helping impoverished families develop tools to create healthier and nurturing environments for their children)  was among the Top 10 finalists, she got to perform during the BWAP gala as one of the 14 Talent finalists (she sang and played acoustic guitar), and made the shortlist in Sports.  I have a feeling if they announced a shortlist in Multimedia, she probably would've made that list, too.  It would be nice to see her break through and win it all and become an icon like Miss Universe 1999 Mpule Kwelagobe.  Will that dream be achieved?

CAMEROON - Julia Samantha Edima.  She's a model, actress and businesswoman who seems well-spoken and possesses a master's degree.  She hasn't figured in any fast-track shortlist, but it looks like we should not count her out as she can possibly impress the MWO insiders and judges in interview.

COTE D'IVOIRE - Mylene Djihony.  She is not making waves like her predecessor, Miss World 2021/22 2nd runner-up Olivia Yace, but she seems to be a worthwhile contender even as she failed to figure in any fast-track event.

ETHIOPIA - Rgat Afewerki Ybrah.  She's a great-looking woman like most contestants from her country but she seems to be a tad lower key than the other Africans out there.  However, she got herself a highlight as her designer dress was cited as the best from her region.

GHANA - Miriam Xodasi.  She made the cut in Top Model and Sports.  She seems well-spoken and polished so she may have a possible path to the Top 40.

GUINEA - Makia Bamba.  She facially reminds me of comedian Wanda Sykes and you know this comedian and pageants (or any conventional notion of beauty and femininity) don't go well together.  So it's unlikely she'll deliver and duplicate the Top 40 feat of her predecessor, Nene Bah.

GUINEA-BISSAU - Mirla Ferreira Dabó.  She makes a slightly distinctive presence with her relatively short hair, but she failed to figure in any fast-track so she seems to be an also-ran.

KENYA - Chantou Kwambo.  She made the cut in the Head-to-Head challenge and Sports, and like many of her predecessors in this pageant, she possesses what I dub SDE (Spontaneous Dignified Eloquence) so she might have an inside track of making the Top 40.

LESOTHO - Poelano Mothisi.  Her kind of proportions would make her a possible diversity choice if she competed in Miss Universe, but I have a feeling even if this pageant doesn't focus much about body shape and proportions anymore, those very qualities may give her a tough time making an impression in this pageant.

LIBERIA - Veralyn Vonleh.  She missed the Opening Ceremony, but she made a positive impression as she resembles singer Brandy.

MADAGASCAR - Ansaly Rajoelina.  She made a splash by being shortlisted in the Head-to-Head challenge and she exudes a lot of sincerity in her presence.  She may not be as polished and charismatic as others out there, but her sincerity seems to be a quality that might win over MWO insiders and judges.  Making the Sports fast-track is another feather in her cap.

MAURITIUS - Liza Gundowry.  She's actually good looking and she actually seems to impress in her introduction videos as she seems to be an overachiever, so it seems frustrating she failed to figure in any fast-track event.  Would the host country's traditional strong ties to this country help her shore up her fortunes and still make the Top 40?  Or can she end up another Holly Carpenter award nominee?

COMING UP:  MOROCCO to ZIMBABWE