Mr South Africa

Mr South Africa published its Top 20 finalists / (Photo: Twitter / @MrSAOfficial)

Mr South Africa pageant: Meet your Top 20 finalists

One of these guys will be crowned Mr South Africa.

Mr South Africa

Mr South Africa published its Top 20 finalists / (Photo: Twitter / @MrSAOfficial)

In case you were wondering, these aren’t mugshots. On Thursday, Mr South Africa took to social media to announce its Top 20 finalists, and people were far from impressed.

As reported by IOL News, the pageant received backlash after it released a collage of the finalists who would be battling it out for the crown.

Mr South Africa finalists receive backlash

Many people on social media felt that this was not the true representation of the prototypical South African man.

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Moreover, the slander was less about the appearance of the finalists and more about how they were represented.

People likened the images to mugshots, ridiculing the entire pageant for the amateurish rollout.

We dug a little deeper than most and this is what we know about the male beauty contest that has South Africa in stitches.

Mr South Africa: What we know about the pageant

The last winner of the pageant, JP Robberts, took over the business in the latter parts of 2018.

“The newly owned Mr South Africa competition promises to be bigger and better than ever, with exciting new brands and sponsors on board, a new mentorship program, amazing prizes to be won, challenges that would test the contestants and help them grow and achieve their full potential, this could only be a life-changing journey for all who enter,” Robberts wrote on the pageant’s web page.

The criteria: Do you have what it takes?

With Robberts’ pageant on the search for the next Mr South Africa, these are the defining criteria that they will judge contestants:

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  • Characteristics: excellence, integrity, adventure, professionalism, competence, compassion
  • Ambassadorship: the crowned winner will exhibit qualities that set him apart from the average South African man
  • Personality: intelligence, commitment, good looks, physique.

According to the pageant, the perfect Mr South Africa will possess “inner power and strength to be able to handle conflict situations in a professional manner. He must have a great personality and be fun loving with a balanced lifestyle.”

Although a definitive date has not yet been announced, the pageant did confirm that the winner will be crowned mid-2019.

For now, take a very good look at the Top 20 Finalist. One of these gents could be your next Mr South Africa.