• Chidimma Adetshina Breaks Mold as Top 13 Contestant in Miss SA 2024

Cape Town, July 23, 2024 — The Miss South Africa 2024 beauty pageant is underway, and one contestant has captured both attention and controversy. Chidimma Adetshina, a South African-Nigerian model, finds herself at the centre of heated discussions.

In a viral X post that is still gaining traction since its posting on Sunday, 21 July, @Hlulanani opened a can of worms when he asked:

“If my parents are Sotho and Venda, and I [was] born in [the] Eastern Cape, does that make me Xhosa?”

His response quoted an earlier post from @unclescrooch, who’d wrote:

“What’s your take on this? She’s born in SA, but both parents are not South African.”

Since her unveiling as one of the top 30 finalists by the Miss SA Organization on May 22, the 23-year-old Cape Town native, Chidimma Adetshina, has shattered expectations. Her journey has solidified her position as a contender to watch in the competition.

However, her continued involvement has sparked scrutiny due to her Nigerian heritage. Social media critics argue that this disqualifies her from representing South Africa. The online discussion also raises questions about eligibility criteria and the celebration of diversity within the pageant.

Meanwhile, Sherry W.ang, a South African model of Chinese descent, competes in her third Miss SA competition, further highlighting the evolving landscape of beauty pageants.

Twitter users expressing their opinions

A recent post by @Hlulanani has set social media ablaze. Within just 28 hours, it garnered an impressive 821,000 views, 6,900 likes, and 1,200 reposts. The comments section, however, tells a different story—a battleground of opinions, emotions, and passionate reactions

Almost 450 responses rushed the comments in the time since.

@Boowa7 wrote:

“They will hate your simple example for no reason.”

@AegonWaMarete offered:

“Nationality is not ethnicity.”

@malvink10 reacted:

“We won’t let this one slide. Bayasiny*la.”

@RK_Mayekisa responded: