Miss Universe 2019 is South Africa, Gazini Ganados' pick
MANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe South Africa 2019 Zozibini Tunzi has been crowned as Miss Universe 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Zozibini succeeded Philippines' Catriona Gray and bested 89 other countries as new Miss Universe. Earlier in the competition, Miss Philippines Gazini Ganados said she likes Zozibini because their names sound alike.
The new #MissUniverse2019 is... SOUTH AFRICA!!!! ???????? pic.twitter.com/gRW8vcuT3A
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 9, 2019
Zozibini is a public relations student.
"I grew up where a woman like me with my kind of skin is not considered beautiful, I want them to look at me and see their faces reflected on mine," she said in her final statement.
Born on Sept. 26, 1993 in Tsolo, Eastern Cape and raised in Sidwadweni, Zozibini later moved to Cape Town and studied Public Relations and Image Management in Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Before winning Miss South Africa, Zozibini was taking her Bachelor of Technology graduate degree in Public Relations Management at Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
She started to join pageantry in 2017, and she finished at the top 26 semifinalists of Miss South Africa 2017. She succeeded last year's Miss Universe first runner-up Tamaryn Green.
Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2019 Madison Sara Anderson Berríos, 1st runner-up
Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2019 Madison Sara Anderson Berríos is a 24-year-old model.
Born on Nov. 10, 1995 in Phoenix, Arizona to an American father and a Puerto Rican mother, she lived with her family in Orlando, Florida. Madison attended Dr. Phillips High School. She then studied fashion design and textiles then Marketing and Public Relations at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She worked in Saint Kitts and Nevis to help domestic violence victims.
She was crowned fourth runner-up at Miss Florida Teen USA 2014. She then represented Puerto Rico in the Top Model of the World 2015 and placed as fourth runner-up.
Miss Universe Mexico 2019 Sofia Aragón, 2nd runner-up
"I think the most important thing is to seek progress, not perfection," Sofia Montserrat Aragón Torres said in her final statement.
Sofia is a Mexican writer, speaker, pageant veteran and author of books on women's empowerment "Diamante en Bruto" (2017) and "El color de lo Invisible" (2019). She wrote her first book at only 14 years old and she has also founded her own publishing company, GLAMéxico.
Born on Feb. 13, 1994, Sofia was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Sofia studied visual culture and marketing in Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara then took up theatrical makeup at the Cinema Makeup School in Los Angeles, California, where she later worked as a special effects makeup artist. She then launched her own cosmetics company, Soswami Makeup, in 2015.
Since she struggled with depression and contemplated suicide, she has become a mental health awareness and suicide prevention advocate and worked with organizations such as Sonrisas Reales.
Sofia began her pageantry career in 2017 when she represented Jalisco at the Miss Mexico Organization pageant. She was then crowned as second runner-up. — Reports from Ratziel San Juan
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