Miss Teen SA will get a make over

Current Miss Teen SA Kopano Mocwane

ORGANISERS of South Africa’s Miss Teen contest are injecting some much-needed sparkle into the pageant, which has lost much of its prominence since Raelene Rorke wore the crown five years ago.

Resort giant Sun International, which owns the rights to the contest, has come up with a plan to ramp up the pageant’s profile — including holding the event during the September holidays so more young girls can participate.

Sun International’s public relations and marketing manager, Sue Klerck, told The Times that this year they are calling for far more entries to the event,which is being staged at the Valley of the Waves at Sun City.

The change of venue is also a fresh approach to the contest, previously staged in the resort’s more formal Superbowl.

“Most title holders since Raelene Rorke or Zizo Beda have had no time to attend events as they were in matric or starting their first year in university,” Klerck said .

However, she said it is difficult to get around this issue because the pageant is open to teens between the ages of 15 and 18 .

The current Miss Teen, Rustenburg’s Kopano Mocwane, was a low-key beauty queen because she was kept busy with her BCom Accounting degree.

Miss Teen will take place on September 26 and entries — for which forms are available on Sun International’s website and at all resorts and hotels — close on August 31.- The Times SA