05 Jul 2016

Names of the top 30 Miss Botswana contestants are to be released tommorrow in Gaborone.  

In an interview, Miss Botswana coordinator, Dorcus Thobega said the build up to the big contest is progressing well and the girls attended an intensive weekend-long boot camp at Avani Gaborone Hotel, where they were trained on public speaking.

Thobega said the ladies did exceptionally well during the two-day public speaking orientation, which was facilitated  by another beauty queen, former Miss Botswana 1995 Monica Somolekae.

Somolekae is a visionary leader, a strategist and an IT professional. She is talented in corporate strategy, policy development and project management among others.

Miss Botswana grand finale will be held at Gaborone International Conference Centre (GICC) on July 29, 2016 and the 50th winner is expected to represent the country at Miss World competition billed for Washington DC, USA in December 20, 2016.

The boot camp came shortly after the successful auditions conducted in Gaborone a week ago. 

Other auditions were held in Maun, Francistown, Selebi Phikwe, Palapye and Lobatse. 

The judging panel specifically looked for qualities such as talent, personal confidence, body fitness, character, sense of style, beauty and conversational skills among others. 

In Gaborone, at least 99 crown seekers came to try their luck, they included nine contestants who took part in last year’s event.     

Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, Thapelo Olopeng who recently invited former Miss Botswana queens noted that there was a need to revamp and raise the image of the pageant to an international standard to attract more stakeholders who could financially invest in it.ENDS