Ndavi Nokeri named Miss Universe South Africa 2022 as Harnaaz Sandhu steals the show

The Limpopo beauty queen was crowned this weekend

Ndavi Nokeri, winner of Miss Universe South Africa 2022. All photos: Miss South Africa

Ndavi Nokeri is crowned at the event in Pretoria.

The top two contestants at Miss Universe South Africa 2022. Ayanda Thabethe from Maritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal was the runner-up on the night.

The event took place in Time Square's SunBet Arena.

Contestants on stage during the Miss Universe South Africa 2022.

Miss Supranational 2022 Lalela Mswane on the red carpet.

Ndavi Nokeri was named Miss South Africa 2022 this weekend in a glitzy ceremony in Pretoria.

Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu, from India, championed a local designer at the show, as she attended in a bright orange, plunging fitted gown with sweeping cape by South African fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee that turned heads on the red carpet.

Videos of Sandhu at the event flooded social media, gaining thousands of likes, particularly one in which she says: "namaste, South Africa".

Nokeri, 23, is from Tzaneen in Limpopo and is an investment management graduate. Miss South Africa 2021 Lalela Mswane was there to crown her predecessor at the event, which took place in Time Square's SunBet Arena.

In the question and answer segment of the show, Nokeri was asked what the most important aspect of keeping unity in South Africa is, and she replied: "To know where you are going, you need to know where you come from. Being a nation that comes from a history of a past of racial segregation, we know that when we were divided, we were at our weakest.

"So as Miss South Africa, I would implore us to stand together and embrace every single culture, gender, race and sexuality because in our diversity we are strong."

Ayanda Thabethe from Maritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal was the runner-up on the night.

Miss Universe beauty queens are being crowned all over the world at the moment, ahead of the global pageant. The date and location for this year's pageant are expected to be revealed in a few weeks.

The next national pageant will take place in Iceland on August 24. In the region, Miss Universe Bahrain will be crowned on August 26.

Earlier this month, the global Miss Universe pageant made history by implementing one of the biggest rule changes in its 70-year history, by accepting married women and mothers.

In an internal memo seen by The National, the organisation said the new changes will come into effect from the 72nd pageant, to be held next year.

Preliminary rounds for the 71st Miss Universe have already taken place. More than 35 countries, from the UK to Ukraine and Guatemala to Ghana, have named their representatives, with plenty more to be unveiled over the summer months.

Miss Universe 2022 beauty queens crowned so far, from Iraq to Thailand — in pictures

Miss Universe Turkey 2022 is Aleyana Sirin. Photo: Instagram / Aleyanasirinn

Miss Universe Italy 2022 is Virginia Stablum. Photo: / Instagram / Virginia.Stablum

Miss Universe Kyrgyzstan 2022 is Altynai Botoyarova. Photo: Instagram / botoyarova_altynai

Evlin Khalifa, 24, is the second Miss Universe Bahrain. Photo: Miss Universe Bahrain

Miss Universe Spain, Alicia Faubel, comes from Alicante and has lived in Dubai and the Philippines. Photo: Instagram / alicia.aliccia

Divita Rai, 23, winner of India's Miss Diva Universe 2022. Photo: Miss Diva

Sophiya Bhujel was crowned Oriflame Miss Universe Nepal 2022. Photo: Miss Universe Nepal

Ndavi Nokeri, winner of Miss Universe South Africa 2022. Photo: Miss South Africa

Anna Sueangam-iam was named Miss Universe Thailand 2022. Photo: Miss Universe

Balsam Hussein when she was declared Miss Iraq 2022. Azhar Al-Rubaie for The National

Yasmina Zaytoun after being crowned Miss Lebanon 2022 at Forum De Beirut. EPA

Noky Simbani was crowned Miss Universe Great Britain 2022. Photo: Instagram / Miss Universe Great Britain

Miss Ukraine 2022 is Viktoria Apanasenko, first runner-up from last year's contest. There was no pageant held this year owing to the war in the country. Photo: Instagram / Viktoria Apanasenko

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau has been named Miss Universe Vietnam 2022. Photo: Facebook / Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau

Filipino-Italian beauty queen Celeste Cortesi was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2022 in Manila. EPA-EFE

Bhutan is marking its pageant debut this year and Tashi Choden is the country's first beauty queen. Photo: Tashi Choden

Laksmi Suardana took the Puteri Indonesia 2022 crown, becoming the first contestant from Bali to enter Miss Universe. Photo: Laksmi Shari De Neefe Suardana

Miss Universe Ghana 2022 Engracia Afua K Mofuman was one of the first women to be crowned in 2022, in order to compete in the 71st Miss Universe pageant. Photo: Engracia Mofuman

Hanna Kim, from Seoul, will represent South Korea in the next Miss Universe pageant. Photo: Hanna Ming

The first and last time the Seychelles competed in Miss Universe was 1995 and so, after that 27-year hiatus, Gabriella Gonthier, from Mahe, will be representing her home country. Photo: Gabriella Gonthier/ Miss University Africa

Amelia Tu, from Vancouver, winner of Miss Universe Canada 2022. Photo: Miss Universe Canada

Miss Universe Jamaica 2022, Toshami Calvin, 26, is the cousin of Miss World 2019 Toni-Ann Singh. Photo: Instagram / officialmissuniversejamaica