South African actress and trailblazing beauty queen Cynthia Shange has died at the age of 76, her daughter Nonhle Thema confirmed on Monday.
Widely regarded as the first black woman to represent South Africa at the Miss World pageant during apartheid days, Shange’s passing marks the end of a pioneering chapter in the country’s cultural history.
Born in 1949, Shange rose to prominence in the 1970s after winning Miss Africa South, a parallel competition created for black women excluded from Miss South Africa under apartheid.
In 1972, she competed at Miss World in London, finishing fifth and making history as the first black South African contestant at the event.
Her participation came two years after Pearl Gladys Jansen, classified as “coloured” under apartheid’s racial categories, had also competed as Miss Africa South.
Beyond pageantry, Shange built a distinguished acting career.
She starred in Udeliwe, considered one of South Africa’s first black feature films, and appeared in the acclaimed historical drama Shaka Zulu.
In 2024, she was honoured with a Lifetime Achiever Award at the KZN Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards for her contribution to the arts.
JN/APA