MISS EARTH 2009

Larissa Ramos 20 from Brazil, was crowned Miss Earth 2009 today. Congratulations to Miss Earth South Africa Chanel Grantham on achieving a top16 position in the finals.

Ready to swop her Construction Helmet for the Global Green Crown is Brainy SA Beauty Miss Earth South Africa, Chanel Grantham

Brainy Beauty is how our Miss Earth South Africa 2009 is described. An all-round talent, this 20-year old Chanel Grantham is currently in the Philippines representing South Africa in the Global Miss Earth Pageant.

This Earthly Beauty is not just a beautiful face, she is living her environmental talk. As a Bachelor of Science student in Property Studies at the University of Cape’s Engineering and Built Environment Faculty, Grantham is focusing on Green Developments and Sustainable Living. Says Miss Earth South Africa, Chanel Grantham .... “Buildings (big and small) have a massive and extended impact on the environment and all stakeholders need to understand the magnitude of the opportunity lost when they fail to embrace the principles of green building. I’m passionate about green developments as a sustainable answer to more energy efficient living. As Miss Earth, my vision is to educate and create awareness on the development of Green Buildings that reduce our ecological footprint.”

When she is not wearing her Green Hard Hat Helmet on construction sites you’ll find her wearing her Green Tiara and Greening in Stilettos as Miss Earth South Africa. The Miss Earth South Africa Organisation in association with Consol are currently involved in a number of greening initiatives throughout South Africa particularly in schools, municipalities and corporates. Grantham has been highly instrumental in greening young minds. Some of her greening work done at local schools demonstrates how communities can become involved in sustainable living.

As one of the 3 biggest pageants in the world, close to 100 global contestants are currently competing for the coveted Miss Earth World Title on one of the most beautiful Islands in the world, Boracay Island in the Philippines. Judging has commenced and takes place over 4 weeks with the gala event taking place on the 22 Nov.

Including all the environmental work that the contestants have done in their respective countries, the contestants are judged in a number of categories. Grantham is certainly well prepared to represent South Africa. Well articulated and experienced in environmental work through working with a number of environmental organisations, Grantham has fast become a strong advocate for greening and has developed an impressive profile of environmental work. SANCOB, WWf, Re-, DSW, Ekurhuleni Municipality are just some of the organisations that Miss Earth South Africa works tirelessly with.

Talent Category – Grantham will play her violin
National Gift – Grantham used her Creative Talent to paint a beautiful South African lifestyle canvass which will be auctioned for environmental charity
Her evening gown was designed by Francois Vedemme
National Costume – Gerrit Pienaar
Swimwear – Colette Designer Garment
Cocktail wear – Katherine Montague
Photoshoot by Loop Photo

*SAPAGEANTSBLOGSPOT WISHES CHANEL ALL THE BEST FOR THE FINALS OF THE INTERNATIONAL MISS EARTH 2009 PAGEANT, SPECIAL THANKS TO MISS EARTH SA ORGANISATION FOR THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS ARTICLE

SAPAGEANTSBLOGSPOT EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SOUTH AFRICA'S MISS UNIVERSE 1978 MARGARET GARDINER!

SAPAGEANTSBLOGSPOT HAD THE PRIVILEDGE OF INTERVIEWING SOUTH AFRICA'S ONLY MISS UNIVERSE TITLEHOLDER TO DATE ON THE EVE OF MISS UNIVERSE 2009...THE LOVELY MARGARET GARDINER!!!

1. WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST MEMORY FROM YOUR PARTICIPATION AT MISS UNIVERSE 1978?

Can Cun. After a very stressful time we got to hang and have fun. The girls danced with each other and took in the view. I am actually on my way back to Can Cun for the first time since the pageant and looking forward to it. I will be interviewing Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eissenberg, Thandie Newton, John Cusack, Chiwetel Eijefoor and director Roland Emmerich.

2. Share some special moments from your reign as Miss Universe 1978?

Gosh so many....The comradie amongst the contestants was unique. So many songs and so much laughter!

3. How has the Miss Universe Pageant changed over the years since your crowning?

Bikini Baby :-)

4. If you had a daughter would you encourage her to participate in Miss Universe?

I'd encourage her to pursue whatever her dream was. People bash beauty pageants but since ive been out of the beauty world i have discovered that people are the nicest. I have never experienced very much meanness of back stabbing. The real world is full of it but the beauty world also taught me to handle stress with grace and stay calm under fire. I try to maintain those goals.

5. You are the only MISS UNIVERSE to date from South Africa, what do you think are current Miss South Africa Tatum Keshwar's chances of winning the Miss Universe title in the Bahamas?

Have not seen her but the mere fact that she is a Miss SA gives her an edge. Our woman are beautiful smart and natural. I wish her much luck and its merely a matter of time before another winner comes from our amazing country

6. Any advice for Tatum, for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant?

Yeah! Be yourself. Know your politics. Understand the questions that will be asked. Have Fun. This is a unique experience.

7. Tell us about your career and what you are doing at present?

I'm an entertainment journalist. Love it! It's creative and has a close of flash. I interview A-list movie stars for glossy magazines. Favourite people Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep and George Clooney.

8. Has being Miss Universe impacted on your career in anyway?

Yeah it opened so many doors. People are kind enough to recall me and that is always so humbling. Plus it does give those who are afraid of me a tool they think they can use to try and frame me as less. I know though what it takes to be a winner in this field. Those that walk away with the title and have the courage to compete are people who say yes to life, are not afraid of a challenge, and STRONG. We tend to be over-achievers and successful when we apply ourselves. I'm proud to have the credit and am so very impressed with the young woman i see competing today.

9. What has been the most rewarding aspect of being a former Miss Universe?

Courage in adversity. There are those who support beauty pageants and those who are clueless. Those who are clueless usually have a bias and are vocal in their bias. However, there arguements are seldom well thought out and lack basic structure. Strength is a gift the experience provided plus access.

10. Your message to your South African fans?

I cannot believe that i have anyone who still remembers me. Thank you for all your support over the years. I was a horribly shy young woman who didnt know very much about the pageant world when i entered at 18. The Love support and kindness that the public showed me was so generous and helped me overcome my fears and reach out and talk to strangers. Actually that is the biggest gift the pageant gave me. I can go anywhere and make friends because of the manner in which the public accepted me and took me in. I am so very grateful to those who did and continue to do so. With much warmth and appreciation

MARGARET GARDINER

MISS UNIVERSE 1978

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SA PAGEANTS VETERAN, TELEVISION, EVENTS AND PAGEANT PRODUCER MARK WEST !!!!!

SAPAGEANTSBLOGSPOT HAD THE PLEASURE OF INTERVIEWING ACCLAIMED SOUTH AFRICAN TELEVISION, PAGEANT AND EVENT PRODUCER MARK WEST...LETS GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE GLAMOR AND SIZZLE BEHIND THE TELEVISION CAMERA LENS!!!!
1.Having produced 11 staged Miss South Africa productions, i am sure you have built lasting relationships with many former Miss South Africa's, who is closest to your heart and why?

Basetsane Kumalo and Peggy-Sue Khumalo stand out for me since these girls came from such humble backgrounds. We met them at the regional’s, spoke with them about what
changes they should initiate and they went away and followed our instructions. The end result speaks for itself. I am also very proud of the fact that they seriously achieved after their reign.

2.Which Miss South Africa production did you enjoy most producing and why?

For me personally the pageant of 2000 was my best. I had loads of money (which always helps??), fantastic sponsors, fantastic International entertainment and a really nice set of contestants. Last year however also made an impact since it was the “new change” in pageant format for South Africa. We tried to make the show more relevant to today and the audience response both at the event and television audience showed us that it worked. One has to be careful when changing a tried and tested format!

3.Mark you are one of South Africa's most acclaimed television producers having produced 7 Miss World pageants and 3 international pageants, what would you say separates a winner from the rest?

7 MISS WORLDS-11MISS SA’S-1 MR WORLD-1 MR SOUTH AFRICA-2 MISS ZAMBIA’S-1 MISS SWAZILAND. Certainly in my experience I can tell you that the contestant has to have an ”all round” appeal. The X factor as we call it! She must be able to stand out in a room without any assistance.

4.What advice would you offer young woman wanting to pursue the beauty pageant industry?

Be yourself, be natural! Don’t try to be someone else!

5. As a youngster which beauty queen did you admire most?

Margaret Gardner did it for me!

6. Share some special moments from your experience of years of producing acclaimed pageant productions?

I need 4 days for this ????

7. Miss Universe is looming close, what do you think are current Miss SA Tatum Keshwar's chances of bringing SA its second Miss Universe crown?

I think Tatum stands a very good chance to claim the crown! She has the “X factor” I referred to earlier. She also has physical stature which the Miss Universe Pageant seems to aspire to find.

8. Statistics show South Africa is the most successful nation from the African Continent at international pageants what do you think sets South African beauty queens apart from otherbeauties in Africa?

They are uniquely South African. We have natural beauties in SA. We also invest in our entrants which is very important Internationally.

9. Do you think pageants still have relevance in today's society?

There is no doubt in my mind that the face of pageants is changing! Relevance is dependent on what you want from a pageant? No matter what people say there is still a huge worldwide following.

10.If you could invite any beauty queen from anywhere in the world to dinner, who would you choose and why?

Aishwarya Rai-Bachan. Miss World 1994-She is the quintessential beauty queen. Elegant, graceful and from my past experience fantastic company. I have not me the husband and it would make for interesting talk.

SAPAGEANTSBLOGSPOT THANKS MARK WEST FOR TAKING TIME OUT FROM HIS BUSY SCHEDULE IN ACCOMMODATING THIS INTERVIEW....Photo credits-Peter Morey and Cap Events website

REMEMBERING MISS SOUTH AFRICA 1992 AMY KLEINHANS

August 1992, saw the start of change for Miss South Africa....Amy Kleinhans a qualified highschool teacher became the first woman of 'colour' to be crowned the official Miss South Africa. I have fond childhood memories of Amy's coronation as SA's loveliest...SAPAGEANTSBLOGSPOT salutes this dynamic woman and reflects on a time when that old cliche ....Dreams really can come true occurred in August of 1992

FLASHBACK MISS SOUTH AFRICA 1991 DIANA TILDEN-DAVIS

August 1991, the year SA crowned its dynamite blonde namely Diana Tilden-Davis. Also the year South Africa returned to Miss World after an absence of 13 years. The blonde bombshell who had previously starred in a local television series called "Trucking" went on to to be crowned 2nd runner up at Miss World in Atlanta Georgia USA returning South Africa's claim to being the leading powerhouse nation from Africa at international pageants. SAPAGEANTSBLOGSPOT salutes this dynamic former Miss South Africa, and reflects on a year that sparked many successful placements at Miss World in years following...from the success for South Africa in the form of DIANA TILDEN-DAVIS....MISS SOUTH AFRICA 1991

SPOTLIGHT MISS EARTH SOUTH AFRICA 2009 CHANEL GRANTHAM

Chanel Grantham
Miss Earth SA 2009 was crowned early in June; SAPAGEANTSBLOGSPOT INTERVIEWED THE effervescent NEWLY CROWNED beauty to gain more insight into the MIND behind the green TIARA!

1.What motivated you to enter the Miss Earth SA pageant?

Environmental appreciation and conservation is something I’ve always believed in. I’m currently a student at UCT in the Engineering and Built Environment Faculty studying a Science Degree in Property and Construction. My aspiration is to develop globally acclaimed Green Developments in SA. So when I saw an ad in the Cleo mag with the title “Miss Earth South Africa” competition, it immediately sparked my interest so I did some research on the organization. Pageantry and modeling has never been at the top of my agenda but after learning about the great work and greening initiatives Miss Earth South Africa in association with Consol is involved with, I just knew that this year I had to be apart of it!
We all need to take responsibility for our carbon footprint and becoming Miss Earth SA would provide a solid platform to voice opinion on environmental issues and influence millions of people with a message that is so relevant. It became my goal!



2.What other than winning were some of the best moments leading up to the finals of the contest?

I’m a qualified open-water scuba diver and am so enriched to have first hand appreciation for the beauty of marine life. It really is a whole new world in the ocean – colourful and beautiful, it’s fascinating!
So witnessing the release of the 84 (Namibian) African penguins back into the ocean was one of my most memorable moments. Realizing that these oiled penguins probably would not have survived if it wasn’t for the dedicated work of SANCCOB and volunteers rehabilitating these penguins were heartening. The experience was so rewarding, it really made me want to do so much more for our marine and wildlife.

3.What are your goals for your year as Miss Earth SA 2009?

My goal is to “green” the minds of South Africans and change people’s perception of the meaning of greening.
As Miss Earth SA of 2009 I aim to promote energy efficiency in South Africa and get more households recycling, particularly the recycling of glass!
I believe if more people become aware of the little changes that they can make that collectively will bring about a greater positive impact on our environment; more people would be inspired to be environmentally conscious. The changes are actually quite simple to adopt but the key to success is driving awareness.
I have the drive, energy and passion for my cause and really want to make the most of my year. I would love to leave a strong legacy as the Miss Earth South Africa of 2009 that made a significant difference, and brought positive, measurable environmental awareness and change in SA. That for me would be a job well done!


4.Are you an environmentalist at heart?

An avid one, I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to the animal planet channel
Looking back I guess I’ve always been an environmentalist at heart. From age 3 when I got my first pair of gumboots, I’d spent hours planting in the garden with my Gran. I learnt how to sustain my own veggie garden and strawberry patch at age 4. I even grew granadillas. I’d lay in between my grandparents with my gran on the one side in grossed in a botany book and my Grandfather reading a national geographic book. So I grew an appreciation for the environment from a young age!

The moral of this story is that children learn most from what they see and experience. This is the key reason why the Miss Earth SA educational programmes are vitally important – these initiatives educate at grassroots level. Planting trees and vegetable gardens in schools with the kids is not only a fun way of learning, most importantly it gives children an appreciation and awareness of the environment in which they live… and I get to do what I enjoy, gardening


5.What are your expectations for the international Miss Earth pageant?

I would love to win the Global title and bring home the Global Miss Earth crown back to SA.
2010 is a fantastic year for SA to showcase our beautiful country to the world with the Soccer World Cup. Having the Global Miss Earth title would be the cherry on top in showcasing our environmental commitment and consciousness to the Globe. Winning the title creates a global platform for SA.
I know that it will be challenging at times (in fact, probably most times), but I believe in myself and our cause – I’m confident that if I stay true to myself my path will be extremely rewarding. I’m definitely up for the challenge!


6.What do you feel are the environmental challenges facing South Africa?

Pollution is a major problem facing us as South Africans. Ineffective waste management is a major contributing factor to this. The main problem is lack of awareness. We see our refuse being taken away and it’s out of sight out of mind. What we don’t realize is that “away” is not necessarily away but rather dumped in a landfill.

Recycling is a great way to save our natural resources and generate energy, particularly the recycling of glass. The energy saved by recycling just one glass bottle is enough to power a standard light bulb for almost an hour! What’s more is that glass is a natural resource that is 100% recyclable that can be recycled over and over!

The systems for glass recycling are all in place- there are glass banks situated in every region by the glass recycling company; it’s up to the consumer to fill them. That’s why Miss Earth SA in association with Consol is driven to promote glass recycling in South Africa and get more consumers recycling. Awareness is key!

7.Do you feel pageants are still relevant in today’s modern world?

If its pageants like Miss Earth that embody ‘beauty with a cause’ then most definitely! Our society needs good role models to aspire, especially our youth. I believe there will always be a fascination with pageants and keen interest in the winners; therefore, if pageants create awareness of causes that are relevant and topical then we should continue to support them.

8.What is your most treasured possession?
My paint toolbox- it’s really old and messy but I love it. I have old oil paint tubes in there from early school days that I still use today! It’s the collection of old and new paint tubes that give it character

9.What or who inspires you?

I love expressing myself through painting- it’s a means of escapism and self-reflection for me. I draw inspiration from personal experiences as well as things I see around me.
I’ve been fortunate enough to exhibit my work and have my work recognized- I was awarded The National Arts award in 2006.

I’m inspired by people who dedicate their lives to preserving our environment. Organizations like SANCCOB, South African National Parks, and WWF who I’ve had the privilege to work amongst have all played a vital role in the preservation of our eco-systems and our world.
The volunteers that assisted, in trying to save the whales in Kommetjie recently. I’m inspired by ordinary people doing extraordinary things for others.

Of course, I’m really inspired by Mr Mandela who is a phenomenal humanitarian.

More recently, the Obamas, Barack and Michelle Obama - they are amazing, so real and in touch with everyday people and environmental issues.


10.Your message to your fans?

We’ve only got one world and she sustains us all. Let’s take great care of her. Let’s change the way we think…
“The world is a product of our thinking; we cannot change the world without changing our thinking.” Sustainable living is not just a buzzword, it’s our reality. It’s up to us to take responsibility for our own carbon footprints and find ways in which we reduce them.
I know a really simple way that we can do this and make a significant difference to our environment… Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!
I look forward to our journey as we share, learn, grow and continue to show great Respect for our Earth.
I am humbled by the people that so tirelessly volunteer their time and effort to environmental work. I thank all of you for your commitment to our environment and continued support.
From my heart, I assure you of my greenest intentions for my reign!



THANK YOU
Chanel Grantham
Miss Earth SA 2009

SAPAGEANTSBLOGSPOT thanks CHANEL for taking time out from her busy schedule in doing this interview, and wishes her all the best in her year ahead….Special thanks to Catherine Constantinides national director MISS EARTH SOUTH AFRICA for making this interview possible. Pictures supplied by Miss Earth South Africa organization.

REMEMBERING MISS SOUTH AFRICA 1990!

Flash back May 1990, Suzette Van Der Merwe became South Africa's first Miss SA of the 90's. The year when Nelson Mandela was released from prison. The year seeing the end of decades of Apartheid and racial segregation in South Africa, also the year when South Africa lost out on a possible added international pageant title?....Suzette Van Der Merwe has gone on to become a successful businesswoman, published author and various other successes since her reign as SA's loveliest in 1990....SAPAGEANTSBLOGSOT salutes this former pageant beauty!!!