Zozibini Tunzi - Wearing the longest crown in Miss Universe history: A shocking life transition

Zozibini Tunzi (born September 18, 1993) is a South African model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2019.

Zozibini Tunzi holds the record for the longest time holding the crown in the history of the Miss Universe pageant. The South African representative was crowned in 2019. She should have crowned her successor in 2020. But, due to the epidemic situation, the contest was moved to 2021, which helped Tunzi wear the crown for 2 years. year.

Tunzi was born in Tsolo, Eastern Cape to parents Philiswa Nadapu and Lungisa Tunzi, and grew up in the nearby village of Sidwadweni. Tunzi is the eldest of three sisters. She then moved to Cape Town, settling in the suburbs of Gardens, to attend Cape Peninsula University of Technology, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in public relations and image management in 2018.

Before winning Miss South Africa, Tunzi completed a Bachelor of Technology in public relations management at Cape Peninsula University of Technology and worked as a PhD student in Ogilvy Cape Town's public relations department.

When she entered the Miss South Africa 2017 pageant, Zozibini Tunzi looked very different, even unnoticed. At that time, she kept her hair long and only reached the semi-finals. Drum said that Tunzi was just a faint contestant in the beauty lineup.

At that time, the 26-year-old girl was more confident, making an impression with her short hair. Her confidence helped her win and become Miss South Africa 2019.

In an interview with Drum, Miss Universe 2019 said she is more confident with her new look. "I believe that women are only beautiful when they are comfortable with who they are. Beauty is subjective, people's opinions don't matter much," she said.

Zozibini Tunzi also believes that women should not only look at the judgment of others. None of us are the same, especially in appearance and height. Everyone is beautiful if they are really confident.

Tunzi said that before she cut her hair, she was scared and didn't know what she would look like. "Two years ago, I had long hair. When I chose to cut my hair, I was afraid that I would not look beautiful. Until my hair fell to the floor, I realized it was the right decision," the beauty said. confirm.

When asked what she loves about her new hair, Tunzi said that she is comfortable with a natural short hairstyle. The current hair helps her show off all the features on her face. The South African beauty also wants to change her hairstyle in the future.

"I used to think I would change my hairstyle. If I wasn't scared, I would probably have dyed my hair red. I was excited when Rihanna showed a photo of her red hair. But right now I don't have the courage to do that," Tunzi said. told Drum.

After being crowned Miss South Africa 2019, Zozibini Tunzi received 1 million Rand (equivalent to 70,000 USD) and a luxury car. Immediately after winning the crown, Tunzi told Move! that the first thing she wanted to do with the prize money was pay her tuition.

At the time, Tunzi studied Public Relations at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). According to the official page of CPUT, her annual tuition fee is up to 20,920 Rand (about 1,480 USD)/year.

When she received the car, Tunzi said she was happy, but she did not have a driver's license. She was also asked if she would grow her hair to come to Miss Universe 2019. However, Tunzi insists that he still wears this hairstyle.

"I'm going to enter the international arena in a short hairstyle. I've had it for two years. I'll keep it that way," Tunzi told Drum.

In the end, Zozibini Tunzi's decision was right. She was crowned Miss Universe 2019 with her academic beauty and confidence.

According to Drum, Zozibini Tunzi is a symbol of strength, courage and resilience.

Since the day of being crowned Miss South Africa and Miss Universe 2019, the 28-year-old beauty met with many mixed opinions, from "non-standard beauty", "beauty not worthy"... However, She still got through it and proved herself worthy.

Recently, Tunzi partnered with a women-focused insurance company called First for Women. She wants to inspire South African women to no longer fear judgment.

"Life without fear is liberation. That's the message I want to send to South Africans in particular and girls around the world in general," Tunzi affirmed.

Tunzi said she always looks at the positive despite facing ups and downs in life. The ultimate goal is for women to feel empowered and realize their own strength. The South African beauty advises women to be their own critics, realizing their own worth and not someone else's.

Although rated as one of the strong Miss Universe, Zozibini Tunzi said she still has many fears, taking time to conquer them. One of the things she finds herself facing and struggling with the most is the saying "Tunzi is not worthy of Miss Universe".

"Some people thought I would fail because I looked different from the previous crowned beauties. However, I soon realized that what I thought was my weakness was in fact my strength. I was different and Now, I'm confident and comfortable, turning fear into a strength to rise up in life," affirmed Miss Universe 2019.

While doing charity activities, Zozibini Tunzi fell into a state of panic because of the approaching pandemic. For weeks, Tunzi felt engulfed in sadness, despairing of having nowhere to go, living in a Manhattan apartment for weeks. She did not expect that the "city that never sleeps" would one day fall into this state.

Just three months earlier, Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe. However, in an interview with Drum via the Zoom app, she said dreams seemed to disappear when Covid-19 hit.

"I felt like I was hit in the face by a bucket of cold water. All my plans for the year were ruined," Tunzi said.

World tours, flashy advertising campaigns, crowdfunding are all wiped out. She feels pressured to live alone, more than 12,000 kilometers away from loved ones.

"In the early days, it was hard to accept. I'm a person who likes to move. So I don't know how to cope when things stop. I even wished I had been born another time." Tunzi talked about being shocked "the culture of distancing in the Covid era".

However, Tunzi realizes that she is not alone in the impact of the pandemic. That's when her mood improved. "Living in the digital age, we have the opportunity to meet family and friends even if we stay in one place. I can still use my voice to inspire many people. My responsibility is real. perform her duties as a beauty queen in a different way than before."

Facing a difficult year, the South African beauty insists she is luckier than many. Currently she lives in a luxury apartment in the heart of Manhattan - a gift for Miss Universe.

"My apartment is a short distance from Central Park. I'm currently friends with reigning Miss America Cheslie Kryst. It's nice not to be home alone," Tunzi said.

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