South Africans love a good controversy, especially if it involves beauty queens, nationality debates, and some heated social media drama.
So, it’s no surprise that Miss South Africa 2024 finalist Chidimma Adetshina set off a firestorm by daring to, well, exist.
Born in South Africa to a Nigerian dad and a Mozambican mom, Adetshina quickly found herself in the middle of what we’ll call “The Great Nationality Debate.” You could almost hear the collective sigh of “How dare she?” across the internet.
The second Adetshina made it into the pageant’s top 16, Twitter (or X, if we’re feeling fancy) lit up like it was New Year’s Eve.
Suddenly, everyone from your aunt to that guy who once won a pub quiz was a Miss SA expert, dissecting Adetshina’s entire heritage. Some claimed she wasn’t “South African enough,” while others asked, “Does she even know how to make pap?”
One user commented, “I’m all for diversity, but how does Nigeria + Mozambique = South Africa?” This is the same crowd who’d likely go, “Hey, I have a Nigerian cousin, I’m totally African!”
Meanwhile, fans jumped to defend her, with hashtags like #XenophobiaIsNotBeauty and #WeLoveChidimma. If pageants were scored by hashtag popularity alone, she’d already have her crown.
Amid the social media uproar, they announced they’d be investigating Adetshina’s citizenship. Cue dramatic gasp! According to sources, this “investigation” would clarify whether Adetshina is truly South African, or just—brace yourself—faking it.
In an unexpected twist, South Africans found themselves simultaneously rooting for and questioning Home Affairs. One tweet read, “The queue to get your ID takes 5 hours, but Miss SA causes them to move faster than an express train?”
Another user added, “Can they do this much investigating when my passport goes missing?” The response was a mix of indignation and admiration, which is pretty much the national vibe anyway.
What does it mean to be South African? For some, being South African means being born here. For others, it’s about identity and community.
Some critics insisted Miss SA was about “South African heritage,” which they defined with the precision of a toddler describing quantum physics. “She doesn’t embody the spirit of a true South African,” one person tweeted, probably while eating biltong with one hand and googling Adetshina’s bio with the other.
Others noted that she was, after all, raised in Soweto and is about as South African as anyone else—except maybe that she’s had to spend half her time explaining this to strangers online.
So where does this leave us? With a crownless Miss SA 2024, an endless supply of tweets, and the knowledge that if you so much as wear a sash in this country, someone somewhere will have an opinion on it.
As for Adetshina, she’s won the hearts of those who value inclusivity—and annoyed those who think a Miss South Africa finalist should come with an official heritage stamp.
In the end, this year’s Miss South Africa has given us all something to think about. If anything, it’s taught us that beauty pageants are no longer just about beauty.
They’re about citizenship, culture, and whether you can survive a social media storm while wearing heels.
Congratulations, Chidimma! You may or may not get the crown, but you’ve certainly got our attention.
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European Union Bans Air Tanzania Over Safety Concerns
Kampala — The European Commission added Air Tanzania to the EU Air Safety List, banning the airline from operating within European Union airspace. This decision follows the denial of Air Tanzania’s Third Country Operator (TCO) authorization by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), citing significant safety deficiencies.
The EU Air Safety List includes airlines that fail to meet international safety standards. Commissioner Tzitzikostas emphasized the importance of passenger safety, stating: “The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards. We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift action to address these safety issues. The Commission has offered its assistance to Tanzanian authorities to enhance safety performance and achieve compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania joins several African airlines banned from EU airspace, including carriers from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Kenya. Notable names include Congo Airways, Sudan Airways, and Kenyan carriers Silverstone Air Services and Skyward Express. The ban reflects the EU’s strict approach to aviation safety worldwide.
Source: allafrica.com
Britam half-year net profit hits Sh2bn on higher investment income
Insurer and financial services provider Britam posted a 22.5 percent jump in net earnings for the half-year ended June 2024, to Sh2 billion, buoyed by increased investment income.
The rise in half-year net profit from Sh1.64 billion posted in a similar period last year came on the back of net investment income rising 2.5 times to Sh13.27 billion from Sh5.3 billion.
“We are confident in the growth and performance trend that Britam has achieved, supported by its subsidiaries in Kenya and the region. Our business is expanding its revenue base while effectively managing costs,” Britam Chief Executive Officer Tom Gitogo said.
“Our customer-centric approach is fueling growth in our customer base and product uptake, particularly through micro-insurance, partnerships, and digital channels.”
The investment income growth was fueled by interest and dividend income rising 34 percent to Sh9.1 billion, which the insurer attributed to growth in revenue and the gains from the realignment of the group’s investment portfolio.
Britam also booked a Sh3.79 billion gain on financial assets at a fair value, compared with a Sh1.8 billion loss posted in a similar period last year.
The increased investment income helped offset the 12.7 percent decline in net insurance service result to Sh2.13 billion in the wake of claims paid out rising at a faster pace than that of premiums received.
Britam said insurance revenue, which is money from written premiums, increased to Sh17.8 billion from Sh16.6 billion, primarily driven by growth in the Kenya insurance business and regional general insurance businesses, which contributed 30 percent of the revenue.
The group has a presence in seven countries in Africa namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Mozambique, and Malawi.
Britam’s insurance service expense hit Sh13.6 billion from Sh11.3 billion, while net insurance finance expenses rose 2.6 times to Sh12.3 billion during the same period.
“Net insurance finance expenses increased mainly due to growth in interest cost for the deposit administration business driven by better investment performance. This has also been impacted by a decline in the yield curve, which has led to an increase in the insurance contract liabilities. The increase has been offset by a matching increase in fair value gain on assets,” said Britam.
Britam’s growth in profit is in line with that of other Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed insurers, which have seen a rise in profits.
Jubilee Holdings net profit in the six months increased by 22.7 percent to Sh2.5 billion on increased income from insurance, helping the insurer maintain Sh2 per share interim dividend.
CIC Insurance Group posted a 0.64 percent rise in net profit to Sh709.99 million in the same period as net earnings of Liberty Kenya nearly tripled to Sh632 million from Sh213 million, while Sanlam Kenya emerged from a loss to post a Sh282.2 million net profit.
