The winner of the controversial Miss South Africa beauty contest was a deaf woman named Mia Le Roux, who is 28 years old. She reportedly expressed in her acceptance speech her hope that her success would enable people who felt left out of society to realize their greatest aspirations. She also stated that she wanted to support people who were "differently abled or financially excluded."
When Le Roux was just a year old, her severe hearing loss was identified. She is assisted in perceiving sound via a cochlear implant. It required two years of speech therapy and consistent effort before she could utter her first words, according to the BBC. She said to the BBC, "I am a proudly South African deaf woman, and I know what it feels like to be excluded. I know now that I was put on this planet to break boundaries, and I did it tonight."
Le Roux was declared the pageant winner after 23-year-old finalist Chidimma Adetshina withdrew due to criticism regarding her Nigerian origin and allegations regarding her mother's identity. Adetshina was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a South African mother, but interestingly, her family was from Mozambique, an East African nation. She was the talk of social media for a few weeks, during which time many people—including a cabinet minister—questioned whether she was qualified to represent the country. She said that she had been the victim of "black-on-black hate," a reference to the particular form of xenophobia known as "afrophobia" that exists in South Africa and targets individuals who are not from Africa.
Chidimma Adetshina wrote on Instagram before exiting the competition: "I want to thank everyone who has supported me from the beginning of my Miss South Africa journey. I sincerely appreciate all of the love and support that I have received." She added on, "It has been an incredible adventure to be a part of the Miss South Africa 2024 competition, but after giving it some serious thought, I have decided to withdraw myself from the competition for the safety and well-being of my family and myself. I depart with a heart full of appreciation for this incredible experience, made possible by the assistance of the Miss South Africa Organization. I would want to use this chance to wish the other finalists the best of luck for the next stages of the competition. We are all represented by the one donning the crown."
