01 Aug 2021

Miss Botswana 2021 auditions will be held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic.

As the pandemic affected many sectors particularly entertainment industry, organisers had to come with innovatives ways to keep the shows running.

Miss Botswana organisers also did not want to be left behind as they took opportunities presented by the pandemic to be innovative and embrace the digital space to hold this year’s auditions.

The audition process will be presented in a 13-episode documentary series.

“The process will be a challenging, emotional, personal and growth-inspiring journey of our Top 30 and eventually Top 16 contestants,” stated director of Development Advance Institute (DAI), Ben Raletsatsi, who are partners in the Miss Botswana pageant.  

He noted that this was part of their long-term vision to use valuable content to redefine pageantry in Botswana, as well as to improve Botswana’s relationship with the Miss Botswana competition by offering complete transparency.

“DAI has a five-year strategy plan partnership with Botswana Council of Women (BCW) to advance and cultivate the potential of Miss Botswana competition,” Raletsatsi said.

He said since joining BCW as facilitators of the pageant, they had achieved significant progress towards establishing the pageant’s position in Botswana’s beauty and creative industry.

Furthermore, he said they were committed to ensuring the visibility and social participation of the next Miss Botswana, adding that the social asset that was Miss Botswana was of importance to them.

He said that through influence on multiple sectors, they would this year empower local businesses, adding that they would also invite collaboration in the form of sponsorships and partnerships with private sector, organisations and businesses in the creative, fashion and beauty industries.

The 54th Miss Botswana will be crowned in October, under the theme: Unearthing a New Jewel.

Three months into crowning Miss Botswana, the 70th edition of Miss World pageant will be held on December 11 in Puerto Rico.

Botswana made a debut at Miss World in 1972 with Agnes Letshebe as the country’s representative.

However, the first Miss Botswana was crowned in 1967 as part of Botswana Independence celebrations and Theresa Rantao met the requirements of being a perfect pick of the nation’s modern womanhood.

Earlier in the 1960s beauty contests had been conducted in various villages around the country with Serwalo Gaseitsewe in 1962, followed by Veronica Magosi in 1964 and Lydia Tiyo in 1965.

Botswana has only had three placement at Miss World and the rest of the years.

The first and most achieved memorable placement was in 2010 when Emma Wareus was first runner-up and subsequently given a Special Award of Miss World Africa.

Karabo Sampson continued to raise the flag high in 2011 when she gave the country a second placement of being in the Top 20, whilst Nicole Gaelebale made it to the Top 40 in 2017 giving the country a third placement in the Miss World stage.  

This year, more than 100 countries will be vying to win the coveted title of Miss World 2021 succeeding Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica, the current Miss World holder and the fourth Jamaican to win Miss World .

Contestants will be judged on the basis of various fast track events, such as top model, talent, multimedia, sports, ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ and resort wear. ENDS