Former Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green-Nxumalo makes her appearance as the first guest judge on the much anticipated Miss South Africa television series Crown Chasers when the show premieres on SABC 3 on Sunday (July 9) at 16h00.

Dr Green-Nxumalo was crowned Miss South Africa 2018 and represented this country in the Miss Universe 2018 competition and placed as the first runner-up. This is not her first outing as a Miss South Africa judge; she was part of the panel of judges at Miss South Africa 2021 finale.

“I’m honoured and excited that I’m the first judge. I hope that I set the pace for the guest judges that follow in subsequent episodes. I also hope that I lived up to what the contestants really needed from me,” she says.

Sunday’s episode introduces the show’s first challenge in the form of a networking event as well as the finalists’ first official photoshoot. After a quick runway walk one finalist is eliminated.

Explains Green-Nxumalo: “Professional photoshoots can be really scary. Usually it’s a paying job and you want to make sure you are giving the client value for money by selecting you, so it’s bound to have its challenges especially if it’s your first one. I think that on the whole they did very well: It was a learning experience for some and a breeze for others. Either way, every one of those entrants walked away with something to grow them as a person which is what the Miss South Africa pageant is all about.”

Does she wish there had been a show like Crown Chasers when she started her Miss South Africa journey: “I am not sure if it makes the build-up to the finale more difficult or not. I think social media and reality TV have evolved so much since I was chasing the Miss South Africa crown and, then or now, I’d find it a challenging yet rewarding journey. I’m always up for first time experiences though!”

Green-Nxumalo is delighted to be taking part in Crown Chasers and encourages fans of the competition to watch it: “It’s a true reflection of what pageant life is like. It demonstrates how integrated everything is and how unglamorous yet fabulous it all is! Audiences will be able to build a real connection with this year’s impressive finalists and truly understand their passion for making a change.

“Viewers will get to interact and see the finalists long before the Miss South Africa finale happens and that also gives those taking part an opportunity to learn from their encounters; whether good or bad. It also prepares them for public life which I think any ‘crown chaser’ needs to further their own path.”

Green-Nxumalo outlines what she is looking for when it comes to the Miss South Africa 2023 winner: “I want a passionate go-getter with enough foresight to understand what it takes to represent South Africa fully! My only advice to them was to relax. Nerves can be your enemy if you don’t know how to reel them in when you need to.”

Over a period of five weeks, starting on Sunday, July 9, South African audiences tuning into Crown Chasers on SABC3 at 16h00 will get a sneak peek into the process of becoming Miss South Africa, through a series of challenges, tasks and mentorship sessions.

A consistent panel of two judges - Bonang Matheba and Leandie du Randt - will be present for each episode with a celebrity guest judge each week, while the series’ host Zozibini Tunzi (Miss South Africa and Miss Universe 2019) will act as a mentor to the finalists throughout the competition.

After the five-part Crown Chasers is broadcast, seven finalists will remain and ultimately strut their stuff at the SunBet Arena at Time Square in Pretoria on Sunday, August 13, in the hope of being crowned Miss South Africa 2023.

Miss South Africa is presented by Weil Entertainment in association with Sun International. SABC3 is the official broadcast partner.

Go to:

Ø  https://www.misssa.co.za

Ø  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissSouthAfricaOfficial

Ø  Twitter: @Official_MissSA

Ø  Instagram: @official_misssa

Ø  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MissSouthAfricaOfficial

Ø  Download the Miss South Africa App from the Apple App Store or Google Play store