As South Africa's biggest beauty pageant draws closer. We catch up on what this year's Top Ten finalists will be up to this coming heritage day (2A September). This year the City of  Cape Town will play host to the Miss South Africa finale for the first time in the history of the pageant.
 
“The City of Cape Town is pleased to partner with the Miss South Africa Organisation to bring the pageant to Cape Town. This is an iconic South African event which has, over the years, made the dreams of many young women a reality and elevated their status as change makers in society,” said Cape Town Executive Mayor Dan Plato.
 
Just before the City of Cape Town hosts this long awaited event. Lets catch up on what this year's Top Ten finalists will be up to this coming heritage day :

Aphelele Mbiyo (24) who was born in Mthata and raised in Port Elizabeth but currently lives in Johannesburg, holds a BA in Integrated Marketing Communications.
What does the day mean to you?
Heritage Day speaks to identity, where we come from and what it means to be uniquely diverse in South Africa.
What would be your perfect Heritage Day meal and who would you share it with?
The perfect meal for me would be pap and chakalaka with braaied chops which I would love to share with those outside my culture to experience our diversity.

Busisiwe Mmotla (27) is from Soweto and is a Senior & FET Phase teacher who graduated from the University of Johannesburg and is currently studying for a diploma in personal training.
Do you know how you will be spending Heritage Day?
I will be spending the day with family and friends and I am sure we will celebrate at home.
What does the day mean to you?
Heritage Day for me means a celebration of all the different creeds and cultures in South Africa in an effort to bring the nation together. This is a day that enables one to feel proud of who they are without feeling judged or stereotyped to the notions that exist about their culture and how diverse it is by seeing how we are more alike than we are different.
What would be your perfect Heritage Day meal and who would you share it with?
A good pap served with braai meat, chakalaka and a cold drink. I would share it with my family and friends because we are such a diverse group. My family is made up of different tribes because of inter-marriage and that to me is amazing because when we are together, we are all just speaking in different languages and we are just trying out new foods from all over the country.

Chantelle Pretorius (24) from Tshwane, Gauteng, a full-time international model who is also finishing her B.Com Business Management degree through Unisa and has a diploma in nutrition.
How will you be spending Heritage Day?
With my family, having a traditional South African braai and enjoying the blue skies and springtime sun.
What does the day mean to you?
Having had the opportunity to travel the world and live with different cultures has made me only prouder of my heritage and my country. South Africa isn’t called a rainbow nation without reason and Heritage Day reminds me of how privileged I am to live in a country that represents so many different cultures. It’s also a reminder that no matter your background, we are all part of one nation and we should strive to accept our differences and work harder to embrace and learn from one another.
What would be your perfect Heritage Day meal and who would you share it with?
When I think of a meal that takes me back to my childhood, I think of a lovely Sunday lunch around the table with family. To make the most of our gorgeous weather my perfect meal would most definitely be lamb chops, an interesting salad and a braaibroodjie.

Jordan van der Vyver (25) comes from Greenpoint, Cape Town, and is a full-time model who spends her time between local and international markets.
How you will be spending Heritage Day?
Usually on Heritage Day my whole family gets together to have a big braai but this year will be a bit different. As we are currently not allowed to have more than 10 people over to a person’s house, I will go with my parents to my grandparents' house and have a small lunch or dinner.
What does the day mean to you?
Heritage Day is actually on my favorite day and month of the year so I have always loved celebrating it. Growing up and learning more about what the day means has made it all the more special. Because I usually spend the day with my family, it reminds me where I come from and what makes me who I am today. My grandparents, their grandparents and so on, all had to meet at those exact points in their lives for me to exist today. Their blood runs in my veins and that culture lives in my bones. Even though my “greats” are no longer around, their heritage lives on through me. It’s incredible that in a country as diverse as ours, we all celebrate our different cultural heritage.
What would be your perfect Heritage Day meal and who would you share it with?
Boerewors, pap en sous because it is proudly South African and unique to South Africa. You don’t get this meal anywhere else in the world! I would share it with my family on one of my grandparents’ stoeps.

Karishma Ramdev (25) who hails from Chatsworth in KwaZulu Natal, is now based in Joburg working as a medical doctor at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital.
How you will be spending Heritage Day?
I will be in Durban and will be spending the day with my family. I am so excited to see them.
What does the day mean to you?
I feel it’s a day where our entire rainbow nation can celebrate our different cultures. Coming from an Indian community, I’ve grown up surrounded by the warmest people who will go above and beyond for anyone they know and I am so proud to be a part of it – not to mention the food we make is out of this world.
What would be your perfect Heritage Day meal and who would you share it with?
I would choose a mutton curry with melting potatoes and basmati rice. My mom Komla is the queen of curries and there is nothing that equates to that meal when she makes it. I would share it with my family and friends – it makes me so happy when people look forward to eating curries.

Lebogang Mahlangu (24) from Soshanguve, Gauteng, is a food scientist working in research and development for a large multi-national.
Do you know how you will be spending Heritage Day?
I usually spend Heritage Day with my family. We have a big lunch and watch TV. I think this year will be extra special because we have not had a lot of time together as a family.
What does the day mean to you?
I come from a blended family - my mom is Tsonga and my father is Ndebele. This day has always represented the celebration of diversity and our ever-evolving culture.
What would be your perfect Heritage Day meal and who would you share it with?
It would have to be the traditional South African “several colours”, which is what home tastes like for me and I would share it with my family. (Several colours is a traditional South African meal that would include beef or chicken for the meat and a whole lot of different coloured sides such as rice, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, beetroot, cabbage, beans salad, morogu, chakalaka etc).
 

Melissa Nayimuli (24) is from Butterworth in the Eastern Cape but now lives in Sunninghill, Johannesburg where she works as an account manager for a marketing agency.
Do you know how you will be spending Heritage Day?
I’ve spent almost a month without seeing my dad and siblings, so I’ll definitely be going home to spend time with them and enjoying a hearty home cooked meal.
What does the day mean to you?
Heritage Day is such an important day to me, as I’m on a personal journey to learn, explore and understand my Xhosa, and Ugandan heritage. I think it’s important for all of us to go on that journey, because I believe that understanding where you come from, helps in getting to know who you are, and everything that makes you, you.
What would be your perfect Heritage Day meal and who would you share it with?
I really love dombolo and stew, so I would love to have my mom's dombolo and beef stew, and share it with my entire family.

Natasha Joubert (23) who is from Centurion, Tshwane, has a B.Comm in Marketing Management and works in PR for a firm of attorneys.
Do you know what you will be spending Heritage Day?
I will probably spend the day with my family as we celebrate Heritage Day as “braaidag”.  We usually put on a braai and we just have a lovely family day. Everyone is so busy with their work that time with the family is very special for me.
What does the day mean to you?
Heritage means to me the unique, inherited sense of family identity. My values, traditions and culture handed down to me by my parents and family. We absorb a sense of heritage throughout our lives as we observe and experience the things that makes our family unique.
Spending these last few months with all the girls has made me realise how many cultures there actually are. You don’t really realise how diverse we are until you spend time with the people around you who don’t have the same background and traditions as you. I have learned so much about different cultures and I think Heritage Day is truly taking the time to learn about a different culture other than your own and embracing it.
What would be your perfect Heritage Day meal and who would you share it with?
I can’t think of anything else than a braai which means chops, a “braai broodjie” and some potato or starch on the side with a salad.  This is a typical meal I eat with my family when we braai and on Heritage Day that will be my ideal meal.

Shudufhadzo Musida (24) comes from Ha-Masia in Limpopo and has a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Pretoria. She is currently doing her BA Honours in International Relations at the University of Witwatersrand.
Do you know how you will be spending Heritage Day?
I will be spending Heritage Day with my family over a good meal.
What does the day mean to you?
Heritage Day means a celebration of the many cultures in South Africa. A celebration of our essence and acknowledgement of the heritage that those that came before us left behind.
What would be your perfect Heritage Day meal and who would you share it with?
My perfect Heritage Day meal is a good braai or roast with family because it involves togetherness and it tastes like home with a vibe.

Finally lets look at what Thoto Mosehla will be up to :

Thato Mosehle (25) hails from Klerksdorp in the North West and is a medical doctor currently completing her internship with the aim of becoming an anesthesiologist.
Do you know how you will be spending Heritage Day?
I’ll be spending the day in a very bright traditional outfit with my brother and my parents.
What does the day mean to you?
It means truly embracing the beauty of the Basotho and Batswana and being proud to be associated with both heritages while embracing others when they display the same pride in their own cultures.
What would be your perfect Heritage Day meal and who would you share it with?
Anything that includes pap to me would be perfect. Pap is a staple food that has always featured on my plate. I like the fact that it can easily be paired with anything, especially with meat at a braai. I often don't have time to cook pap as I live alone and it takes quite an effort to make it regularly. Having my mom make it for us on Heritage Day will be very special.

 

Miss South Africa 2020 will be crowned at a spectacular and entertainment-packed event – which takes place on Saturday, October 24, from 17h00. The show will be screened live on M-Net and Mzansi Magic, it will also be streamed for an international audience.