First black model to represent SA at Miss World: Where is Cynthia Shange now?

Meet Cynthia Shange, the first Black woman to represent South Africa at the Miss World pageant back in 1972.

Cynthia Shange was the first black model to represent SA at Miss World. Images via Instagram @nonhle_thema.

Cynthia Shange was the first black model to represent South Africa at the Miss World pageant back in 1972 – where is she now?

ALSO READ: First black woman crowned Miss SA: Where is Jacqui Mofokeng now?

SIX THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BEAUTY QUEEN

The beauty queen made history. Cynthis Shange was the first black woman to represent South Africa at Miss World in 1972.
While the first black woman to be crowned Miss SA was Jacqui Mofokeng in 1993, Cynthia’s journey to Miss World was a little different. The beauty queen started her modelling career in 1970, according to Briefly. She won the Miss Natal title she then became Miss Africa South. This afforded her the opportunity to compete at the Miss World pageant as Miss Africa South. Due to this being during the apartheid era in South Africa, there were two beauty titles in Mzansi at the time.
Cynthia was not a Miss SA titleholder, but a Miss Africa South titleholder.
The beauty quee hails from Lamontville, KwaZulu-Natal.
She married professional soccer player and journalist Derrick Thema, who has since passed away.
The beauty is a mother of four – Banele, Sihle, Archie and Nonhle.

ALSO READ: Miss SA 2011: Where is beauty queen Melinda Bam now?

WHERE IS CYNTHIS SHANGE NOW?

Cynthia venture into the acting space where she starred in South Africa’s first black feature film, Udeliwe in 1975. She then went on to star in the Shaka Zulu in 1986 as well as many other shows.

Her most notable role is as MaNkosi Buthelezi, mother of Thandaza on SABC 2’s Muvhango. She is believed to have been living in Meadowlands, a suburb in Soweto, Gauteng in the 2000s.

The former beauty queen is now reportedly 74 years old and she often makes appearances on her daughter’s Instagram account.