List of Africans Who Have Won Miss World & Miss Universe
Miss World Winners from Africa
The Miss World pageant started in 1951 and has had several African winners.
| Year | Name | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Penelope Coelen | South Africa | First African to win Miss World. |
| 1974 | Anneline Kriel | South Africa | Crowned after the original winner (UK’s Helen Morgan) resigned. |
| 1994 | Aishwarya Rai (India won, but South Africa hosted the event) | South Africa hosted | Historic because Nelson Mandela attended. |
| 2001 | Agbani Darego | Nigeria | First Black African woman to win Miss World. |
| 2007 | Zi Lin Zhang (China won, but the event was held in Sanya, China) | No African winner | African countries participated. |
| 2008 | Ksenia Sukhinova (Russia won, but event was in South Africa) | South Africa hosted | African contestants reached high ranks. |
| 2014 | Rolene Strauss | South Africa | Third South African to win Miss World. |
| 2016 | Stephanie Del Valle (Puerto Rico won, event held in the US) | No African winner | South Africa and Kenya were finalists. |
| 2019 | Toni-Ann Singh | Jamaica (of African descent) | Many African contestants ranked high. |
Miss Universe Winners from Africa
The Miss Universe pageant started in 1952, and African women have made their mark.
| Year | Name | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Margaret Gardiner | South Africa | First African woman to win Miss Universe. |
| 1992 | Michelle McLean | Namibia | First and only Namibian to win. |
| 2017 | Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters | South Africa | Second South African winner. |
| 2019 | Zozibini Tunzi | South Africa | First Black South African woman to win Miss Universe. |
| 2023 | Sheynnis Palacios (Nicaragua won, but Africa had strong representation) | No African winner | South Africa and Nigeria reached high ranks. |
Notable Mentions
- Leila Lopes (Angola, 2011) – First Angolan to win Miss Universe.
- Agbani Darego (Nigeria, 2001) – First Black African woman to win Miss World.
- Zozibini Tunzi (South Africa, 2019) – The first Miss Universe to wear her natural Afro-textured hair.
