Are you the next Miss SA?
Sun International will be hosting open castings at Durban's Sibaya Casino on October 11, Grand West Casino in Cape Town on October 4, at the Boardwalk in Port Elizabeth on October 19 and The Maslow Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg on October 26.
Former Miss SA Melinda Bam believes hosting auditions at all major cities gives more women access to the dream.
"I think it's very important for us, as a brand, because it has to belong to South Africans and everyone needs to be able to have access to the current Miss South Africa and the brand itself to enable any girl in the country to enjoy the platform.
"You can't say you have an accurate representation of South Africa if you don't get a variety of South Africans to enter. This is to make sure we have a variety of girls on the final night who can then say we are Miss South Africa," she said.
The judges will be looking for someone with charisma; the quintessential South African girl-next-door who is not afraid to speak her mind and is passionate about her country.
Melinda says the ideal candidate is someone who is well-spoken, opinionated about matters in our country and someone that people will take notice of.
"We are really looking for the quintessential South African who is spontaneous, intelligent and very charismatic. If I think about what it means to represent South Africa as a country, it is a strong individual who is willing to empower people within her journey but also someone who has a very big love of life and is able to showcase the best of South Africa."
Having entered and won Miss SA 2012, she has shared a few words of wisdom:
"It is very important for the girls to understand that you have to compete with yourself in a competition like this. The ladies should focus on themselves and being the best version of themselves.
"The process itself I think is valuable, because it grows you so much as a person. By the end of this journey you will have had the opportunity to be empowered in terms of what is expected of you and what you need to represent South Africa.
"The girls don't have to be intimidated into thinking that you have to be everything and know everything already. The process lends itself to actually discovering that in the journey," she said.
*Registration in Durban begins at 8am and entrants are advised to get there early to avoid the queues. The contestants will need to bring their swimwear and sarong and an interview outfit, a copy of their ID document and matric certificate.
More than R1.2-million in prizes are up for grabs for the winner of the Miss SA title. To enter or for further details log on to the Miss South Africa website.
(Photo: Via Facebook.com/MissSouthAfrica)