Stiletto Safari: Miss World Contestants ‘rough’ it in the bush

30 November 2009 - 17:05
By Marisa

Greetings from the bush Jacaranda Land!

I certainly had my reservations when we welcomed the 2009 Miss World contestants at the Legend Golf & Safari Resort in Limpopo yesterday. Inside the spectacular Glass Hall Marquee (a welcome reprieve from the sweltering heat!) my media colleagues and I waited for the world’s most beautiful women to arrive, not quite knowing what to expect. In a flurry of couture, elaborate hairstyles and ridiculously high heels the girls started to file in – a 113 of them to be exact. This included the current Miss World Russian beauty Ksenia Sukhinova, dressed like a Grecian goddess. She will hand over her crown to the new Miss World on 12 December at Gallagher Estate in Midrand.

It was definitely not the usual suspects you’d expect on an African Safari and for a brief moment I had trouble picking my jaw off the floor. While some opted for colourful summer dresses others didn’t get the memo on dressing the Safari part. One cappuccino-skinned giraffe (at least 1,7 meters tall) looked ready for the J&B Met decked out in odd bright green hat, while another wore a skimpy outfit made out of what appeared to be off-white curtaining. The contestants were hardly in the door before they headed for the light lunch spread.

The girls are divided into four groups and proudly call themselves the Cheetahs, Black Rhinos, Penguins and Marshall Eagle. They were instructed over lunch to change into Legend Safari gear, each group receiving an individual colour that include blue, pink, stone and green. They were also instructed, to their horror, not to wear heels. Things were looking a lot less dire as I imagined a safari on heels.

The girls really came to life when a group photos were taken of them in Safari vehicles at the Legend Golf & Safari Great Enclosure – an architectural marvel at the heart of the Waterberg region. Cheers and laughter filled the sky as the girls loudly and proudly represented their respective teams, making a pretty picture in their Legend gear. By then a nasty wind was whipping through the proceedings as dark clouds assembled in an omen of the safari lying ahead.

I was pleasantly surprised and relieved that our Safari vehicle had a canopy, because it was pouring down with rain as we entered the Entabeni Private Reserve. The beauty queens were however exposed to the elements with plastic ponchos as the only protection against the icy cold rain beating down on the lush green surrounds. It was raining so hard to that Waterberg Mountains completely disappeared in the blue-grey sky and thunder echoed like shotgun fire through the valley. We were forced to seek shelter on a stoep of one of the reserve’s offices.

We were huddled under the roof with the Cheetah team who wouldn’t allow a spot of rain to break their unremitting spirit. Miss Sierra Leone, Maraitu Kargbo took the lead as the girls sang the Cheetah cheer in just about any language they could think of. Her bubbly personality oozed of true African hospitality as she revelled them cheer after cheer. We were also lucky enough to have a quick chat with Miss Venezuela Maria Veliz, who is a living example of why so many Venezuelans walk away with the crown.

Despite the Legend team’s best efforts to bar heels from the safari, many girls discarded the notion of coming down to sneakers or trainers and flaunted their heels. It was amusing to see their uncomfortable trek to the vehicles as the rain started to clear up. Mud and heels don’t work! The safari hardly got underway before the heavens opened up for a second time and it was even worse than before. We did however manage to spot wildebeest, Zebra, Impala and drenched models.

After a much needed opportunity to freshen up at the five star Hanglip Lodge we headed for the Glass Hall Marque for supper. The girls were supposed to form a drum circle at the Great Enclosure, but Mother Nature had other plans. A light drizzle continued to fall for most of the evening. Fashionably late the girls arrived as flamboyantly as they did that morning. Our very own Miss South Africa Tatum Keshwar oozed sophistication in a black two piece ensemble teamed with diamante shoes from Europa Art. Zimbabwe’s Vanessa Sibanda looked absolutely stunning in an African-inspired knee-length frock, while the girls from the South American countries definitely took the lead in the fashion department.

The highlight of the glitzy affair was definitely the drum circle and the girls proved that they were a harmonious group, putting the professionals to shame as they lustfully beat away at their drums. The low was the Marimba group Siyababona who delivered another shockingly bad rendition of the National Anthem, butchering our beloved prayer as Reggae artist Ras Dumisani did during the Springboks’ match against France in Toulouse a couple of weeks ago. I am not exaggerating when I say it was even worse.

Today we have quite a demanding programme ahead of us and rain permitting we will be interacting with lions, cheetahs, wild dogs and hyena as part of the White Lion Programme. We also hope to squeeze in a round of golf at Legend Golf and Safari reserve’s signature golf course. Ah the life of a beauty queen!

Warm Regards,
Miss Jacaranda

P.S. There are more to the Miss World contestants than a pretty face! To give you an idea India’s Reita Feria, who was crowned Miss World in the 1960’s, went on to qualify as doctor. Give a listen to some of the interviews I’ve added and judge for yourself if our African girls have what it takes to be ambassadors of our continent.