A new Miss Universe 2017 has been crowned and this time, South Africa takes the crown. Get to know Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters before she begins her reign as the most beautiful woman in the universe.
She bested Colombia and Jamaica, who were named 1st runner-up and 2nd runner-up respectively.
5 Things To Know About Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters
1. Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters was crowned Miss South Africa 2017 in March 2017. As Miss South Africa, she was supposed to represent the country in Miss World as well, but because of scheduling issues, she only competed in Miss Universe. Before joining the pageant scene, she works as a model and is actually based in New York, U.S.A.
2. She is only the 2nd South African to win the Miss Universe crown. The first South African winner was Margaret Gardiner who won Miss Universe 1978.
3. As a victim of an assault in London just after she was crowned Miss South Africa, she wants to help other women and empower them to defend themselves. She believes that self-defense training is an important step in this empowerment.
4. She is also an advocate for equal pay for equal work for women in the workplace. And she made this clear when she answered the question about the biggest issue confronting women at work nowadays.
5. The new Miss Universe has a degree in business management from the North-West University in South Africa.
Miss Universe 2017: Nel-Peters Going Back To New York
As part of her winnings as Miss Universe, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters will be going back to New York at her new luxury apartment. She will be based in the city for the length of her reign and will also enjoy a salary and various perks.