Mia Le Roux has made history by becoming the first deaf person to be crowned Miss South Africa. The beauty pageant, held on August 10, 2024, saw Le Roux, a descendant of Dutch settlers in South Africa, triumph over nine other predominantly black models.
As the winner, Le Roux will receive a cash prize of $53,371 (R1 million), a Mercedes Benz car, and a luxury fully furnished apartment. An undergraduate, she plans to focus her pet projects on advocating for persons living with disabilities.
Le Roux’s victory followed the withdrawal of Nigerian-affiliated model Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina from the competition. Adetshina, who has Nigerian and Mozambican heritage, stepped down after controversy arose regarding her nationality, particularly concerns raised by the South African Department of Home Affairs about possible fraud and identity theft by her mother.
