Chidimma Onwe Adetshina, a law student and model born in South Africa, made waves on Saturday, November 16, as she was crowned Miss Universe Africa & Oceania during the 73rd Miss Universe competition in Mexico.
Representing Nigeria, her father’s homeland, Adetshina’s journey to the global stage has been one of resilience and triumph. In August, she withdrew from the Miss South Africa finals after enduring xenophobic attacks online. Just four months later, she stood as the first runner-up to Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark, who made history as the first Danish winner of Miss Universe.
Theilvig takes over the crown from Sheynnis Palacios, Miss Universe 2023 from Nicaragua. Other placements included Miss Mexico, Miss Thailand, and Miss Venezuela, who were ranked as second, third, and fourth runners-up, respectively.
This year’s competition was especially historic for Africa, with a record-breaking 18 contestants representing the continent among 125 nations. Adetshina’s success added to the pride and joy of a remarkable year for African representation on the international stage.
