MISS SA 2015 CONTESTANTS ARE READY FOR THE BIG DAY

Miss SA finalist at a luncheon at the Table Bay Hotel on Friday. PICTURE: Gabi Mbele

THEIR flawless skin, beautiful long bodies trampling about in eight inch heels are hard to miss.

Oozing with confidence and armed with the best guidance from former beauty queens including as Bernelee Daniell (1995), Joan Ramagoshi Madibeng (2003), Sonia Raciti Oshry (1998), Thuli Sithole (2005), Yolanda Kloppers Ward (1978) and Wilma van der Bijl (1987) - it's hard to believe they could have any fears. But they do. 

Especially about the night they all are hoping they will be crowned the fairest in the land.

Nelspruit contestant Felicia Muwayi, a 24-year-old production manager at Red Pepper, said she "feared the idea of tripping on her dress".

"I am confident about walking on the ramp but I worry about stepping on my dress or getting it tangled while I walk and just stumbling all over it.

"I even asked Liesl Laurie how to get that right which has made the fear a little better," said Muwayi.

Miss SA finalists Schane Venter, Sharon-Rose Khumalo and Mikaela Oosthuizen at the World Swimsuit shoot at Camps Bay Beach in Cape Town. PICTURE: Gabi Mbele

Kicking off in April with the entry levels, after seven months of training, several workshops, interviews and coaching for the pageant. This week they spent two days in Cape Town's Camps Bay beach shooting in their swimwear for the World Swimsuit prize photographed by Jacques Weyers. The winner will walk away with four page spread and R20 000 cash prize which the 12 beauties will get to know on the night of the pageant, March 19, at the Carnival City, east of Johannesburg.

Under the watchful eye of the judges including businesswoman Basetsana Kumalo, former magazine editor Kojo Baffoe, actress Sophie Ndaba, Bloemfontein designer Casper Bosman and magazine editor and style icon Pnina Fenster - they will face their toughest day of all. 

And for four of the ladies, Eastern Cape's Luvuyo Mngonyama, Pretoria's Sharon-Rose Khumalo and Mpumalanga's Ntandoyenkosi Kunene - they dread the "judges questions in the Top five phase of the pageant".

"I would have to answer the question and it gets taken out of context or misunderstood," said Khumalo.

"I speak fast and I fear that my articulation won't be on point," said Mngonyama.

"What if I freeze or go blank and never answer or worse don't answer what I have been asked?" questioned Kunene.

But one thing is for sure, they all know that on game night they are each other's competition. They will get to go home on February 24 for the last time as themselves and return again on March 3. By the time they return home, one of them will be Miss South Africa walking away with prizes worth over R1million including a car, apartment for the year, designer garments, cosmetics, shoes, bags and gym membership.

Port Elizabeth's Mikaela Oosthuizen, who won Miss SA Teen 2010 when she was 14, she hopes she will "make history and be the first Miss Teen to win Miss SA".

"I was the youngest Miss Teen, the first Port Elizabeth winner of that pageant and again I hope to make history getting this title too," said Oosthuizen.

Miss South Africa pageant will air live on Mzansi Magic (channel 161) on March 19 from 17h00.