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It might appear, success for Zozibini Tunzi has come very sudden. Growing up in a village in the Eastern Cape, Zozi has reached stardom by becoming queen of the universe. What some people might not know, is that Zozi has been working hard for many years to be where she is now.
Groove-Africa.com.za learnt that this model and beauty queen was born on 18 September 1993 in Tsolo, eSdwadweni which is situated in the Eastern Cape. Her mom, Philiswa Nadapu, is a school principal in the area and her dad, Lungisa Tunzi, is employed at the Department of Higher Education and Training in Pretoria.
Zozi completed her schooling in Dutywa after which she relocated to Cape Town where she graduated with a national diploma in public relations management at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. When Zozi won Miss South Africa, she was completing her B.Tech.
Even though Zozi had make a life in Cape Town, her roots still lay in her hometown. Her national costume reveal in November was testament to love for her hometown. The response from family, friends and neighbours she received was overwhelming. Everyone was wishing her well for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant.
When the public saw that Zozi had won Miss Universe, the streets of Tsolo came alive with residents celebrating.
An old post resurfaced on social media which Zozi posted back in 2012 where she said, one day is one day. A picture of a former Miss World winner being crowned was attached to her statement. She has shared thought-provoking and inspirational messages on her social platform for some time.
So it has been a dream of Zozi’s since way back, and now it is a reality.
The 26-year-old did try out for Miss South Africa in 2017 and was in the top 12. This did not by any means make her lose faith. She persevered and went back again in 2019 and walked away with the title of Miss South Africa.
This time round, Zozi had changed her look. She opted to proudly show off her natural hair. It was right from the beginning of the show that Zozi had already impressed the judges. When it came time for the question and answer segment, she aced it.
The question that was asked of Zozi, was if SA women still have a reason to keep smiling with the amount of violence against women and children in the country. The answer Zozi gave was a firm NO. She went on to state that men have to be brought into the conversation surrounding gender-based violence. The audience was in total agreement and responded with applauding her response.
The decision Zozi made embracing her natural hair had a positive impact. She was a firm favourite long before the crowning of Miss Universe.
The crown Zozi received is worth 73 million rand and is encrusted with diamonds. She now resides in New York living in a luxurious apartment which she shares with the current Miss USA.
Speaking to Trevor Noah on his show, Zozi shared her feelings saying that now she will be able to use this platform to build generational wealth for her family.
Zozi will have a filled 2020, with her travelling all over the world sharing her feeling on issues she is passionate about. There will be a number of events she will be attending which will see her alongside Hollywood’s best. It will no doubt be an exciting time for her.