Xenophobic tensions cast a shadow over Miss South Africa competition

Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina, a contestant in this year's Miss South Africa pageant, has found herself at the centre of a contentious debate about her eligibility to represent the nation.

Since advancing to the Top 30 of the competition, Adetshina has faced criticism on social media with detractors questioning her South African identity and suitability as an ambassador for the country, while others say people questioning her identity are xenophobic.

The controversy was sparked shortly after her entry into the beauty pageant. She stated in her video she was raised in Soweto. However, some people argued despite being born at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and being raised in South Africa, her parents were not South Africans.

“My dad is a proud Nigerian and my mother was born and raised in South Africa but has roots from Mozambique. My mom’s family still live in Soweto and I visit them from time to time,” she told Sowetan SMag.

This is not the first time the Miss South Africa organisation has been under pressure. 

Model Sherry Wang's entry video for the competition earlier this year also sparked controversy. She won the fan vote, which placed her among the Top 25 contestants. This was her third entry into the competition.

The organisation, which is known for its stringent criteria regarding citizenship and ethical conduct, emphasised on its website the competition requires all entrants to hold South African citizenship and uphold exemplary standards of behaviour.

“Miss South Africa entrants must be South African citizens and in possession of a valid South African ID document or passport. If an applicant holds dual citizenship, they must provide details of both on the entry form.  

“By entering to compete for the title of Miss South Africa 2024, you will be required to consent to, and authorise the Miss South Africa organisation, doing a psychological wellbeing assessment including resilience testing, background checks to verify information provided in your entry form and confirmation you are an upstanding citizen worthy of representing the country.” 

Adetshina expressed her initial excitement upon entering Miss South Africa, only to encounter a wave of scepticism regarding her heritage and allegiance.

“I was so excited to enter Miss SA and I didn’t think that far as to what the public would think. Once I got to the top 16, that’s when I felt it. People on X were asking why I'm competing because I’m not South African. They questioned my nationality, along with my parents.

“At first I ignored it but as I progressed in the competition the criticism started growing. Until I thought to myself, 'I am representing a country but I don’t feel the love from the people I’m representing' — I even asked myself, ‘Is it worth it?',” she said.

“I feel all of this is black-on-black hate, as I’m not the only one in this competition who has a surname that’s not South African. I feel the attention is on me because of my skin colour, which I think is a disadvantage; it’s also been something I had to overcome growing up.” 

Beyond her participation in the pageant, Adetshina is a multifaceted individual who is a model, netball player and a law student at Varsity College. She also advocates passionately for sports and campaigns against gender-based violence.

Adetshina is not the first contestant to have made it into the competition despite her parents' origins. Vanessa Carreira Coutroulis took the Miss South Africa crown in 2001 and was placed second runner-up at the Miss Universe competition. She became Miss SA despite being born to Portuguese-Angolan parents.

On platforms such as X, opinions have been sharply divided, highlighting deep-seated views on national representation and what it means to embody the spirit of South Africa.