The highlights of Lalela Mswane's Miss Universe journey

Lalela Mswane's road to Miss Universe has been a bumpy but exciting one. The KwaZulu-Natal beauty was named the second-runner-up during Sunday's ceremony in Eilat, Israel.

There had been many calls for her to boycott the pageant in Israel in solidarity with Palestine. 

Both Lalela and the Miss SA organisation refused to be drawn into politics. Officials were adamant that she would attend the pageant despite criticism from Mandla Mandela and Pro-Palestine organisations. 

Despite the drama, Lalela was in a positive mood when she jetted off to Israel last month. 

"I’m so grateful for this opportunity to represent my country on the @missuniverse stage!" she wrote on Instagram.

ALSO READ: KZN-born Lalela Mswane crowned Miss South Africa

Lalela was "super excited to be exploring" Israel and shared several pictures on her Instagram page. 

"Seas the Day! Had my first outing in Eilat today. Spent the morning at Coral Beach and it was a much-needed escape!" she captioned one picture. 

The 24-year-old had a special connection to previous contestants. 

She wore an outfit during the preliminary stage that was meant for Miss Universe South Africa 2020 Natasha Joubert. 

"Fun fact: @natasha_joubert was supposed to wear this outfit when she contended for Miss Universe and when I saw it I knew I had found “the one” for my interview!" Lalela said about her Natalia Jefferys look. 

She also wore a HOUSE OF FABROSANZ dress that was previously worn by Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi. 

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Two days before Sunday's ceremony, Lalela took part in the National Costume Show and Preliminary Competition.

She unveiled her 'A Dove of Peace' costume on the night. Lalela, who is a professional dancer, showed off her ballet moves on stage.

According to Miss SA officials, the white bodysuit, which is adorned with feathers, "represents her nation, culture and its spirit of Ubuntu".

The outfit was designed by the The Costume Dept. 

Lalela confidently walked across the Miss Universe stage on Sunday night, leaving the judges, audience, and viewers in awe of her beauty. 

She was the only contestant from Africa to make it to the final 16. 

"Simple and elegant, she brought an A-Game to this stage," one Twitter user wrote. 

Another tweep added: "Lalela's performance at Miss Universe was unbelievable."

Lalela told The Jerusalem Post ahead of Sunday's ceremony that she is glad she decided to participate.

"If I had not come to Israel to compete in the Miss Universe pageant, I think I would have regretted it for the rest of my life,” she told the publication. 

Lalela added: "My soul would not have been at peace if I had skipped it."

Lalela will be returning to South Africa with her head held high. 

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Main image courtesy of Instagram/@lalelammswane (Hanri Human for Miss South Africa)