Black beauty queen who represented South Africa at Miss World during apartheid dies aged 76
Summary
Cynthia Shange, the first black woman to represent South Africa at the Miss World pageant during apartheid, has died at age 76. She was also an actress known for her roles in important South African films and was honored for her lifetime contributions to acting.Key Facts
- Cynthia Shange was born on July 27, 1949, and died at age 76 after an illness.
- She represented South Africa at Miss World in 1972, during apartheid when black women could not compete in Miss South Africa.
- Shange won Miss Africa South, a separate pageant for black women created because of apartheid rules.
- She placed fifth at the 1972 Miss World competition in London.
- Before Shange, Pearl Gladys Jansen, classified as "coloured" under apartheid racial categories, also competed internationally in 1970.
- Shange had a long acting career and appeared in films such as Udeliwe and the drama Shaka Zulu.
- In 2024, she received a Life Time Achiever award for her work in acting.
- Her daughter publicly announced her death and asked for prayers for their family.
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