Why Miss SA 2023 Natasha Joubert can't compete in Miss World or Miss Universe
While Natasha Joubert is celebrating her win, it could be holding her back from competing in other pageants across the world.
This past Sunday, 13 August, after entering the Miss SA race for the second time, Tshwane local Natasha Joubert took home the Miss SA 2023 crown.
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The new queen was ecstatic - and so were her supporters.
It has now been revealed that her win could hinder her from following in previous queens' footsteps internationally.
Previous Miss SA pageant winners have always had the option to compete in the Miss World and Miss Universe competitions, but Joubert will be unable to do so for a few reasons.
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In 2020, Joubert represented South Africa at the Miss Universe pageant where she did not place in the Top 21.
While Miss SA permits women to re-enter the competition, Miss Universe has a different set of rules that prohibit this.
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As for Miss World, Miss SA did not renew its license with the pageant and so Natasha will also not be able to enter.
Pageant enthusiast and YouTuber, Rina Hendriks, spoke to The South African about the details:
It is a set-in-stone rule that no woman may represent her country more than once at Miss Universe. There was never going to be a way for Natasha to go to Miss Universe again. Carol Bouwer Productions has since picked up the Miss World license in South Africa and has established the Miss World South Africa pageant. A new Miss World South Africa will be selected in October and will then be sent to represent South Africa at Miss World in India this year. Natasha cannot go to Miss World since Miss World is no long affiliated with the Miss South Africa Organization.
Not all of Joubert's international hopes and dreams are lost, however.
The Miss Supranational pageant, where former Miss SA Lalela Mswane became the first South African and first black woman to take the title, is still open to Natasha and it is speculated that she will be entering this competition in 2024.
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Main image courtesy of Instagram/Miss South Africa