86 countries will be represented at the 71st Miss Universe Beauty pageant.
For the first time, Bhutan will contest for the miss universe crown whiles Angola, Belize, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay return to participate.
Sixteen candidates will be qualified upstream by a pre-selection jury and announced during the ceremony which will be held at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 14, 2023.
Meet all the contestants representing the participating African countries.
Miss Universe Seychelles – Gabriella Gonthier
Gabriella Gonthier was born in Sydney, Australia but raised in the exquisite archipelago of the Seychelles Islands, specifically on Mahe. Gabriella graduated from the University of London with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a specialization in International Business.
Miss Universe Cameroon – Mouketey Lynette Monalisa Jelly Mouketey Lynette Monalisa Jelly is extremely sociable and has a great love for people. She is also very strategic in decision-making. She is especially passionate about helping children; she organizes Hope Day, a program that helps primary school children gain access to school necessities.
Miss Universe Ghana – Engracia Mofuman
Engracia Afua K. Mofuman is a professional model and a French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese translator. She grew up in Ghana as well as a number of other African countries which spurred an appreciation for various cultures. This led her to pursue a master’s degree in International Relations.
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Miss Universe Namibia – Cassia Sharpley
Cassia Sharpley is a vibrant, multi-facetted young woman with 17 years of experience in the performing arts as a dancer, singer, actor, model, musician, and songwriter. Her passion also lies in the medical field as a paramedic practitioner.
Miss Universe South Africa – Ndavi Nokeri
Ndavi Nokeri has crowned Miss Universe South Africa in August 2022. She has a BCom Investment Management degree from the University of Pretoria and was working for an asset management firm at the time of her crowning.
Miss Universe Equatorial Guinea – Alba Isabel Obama Moliko Alba Isabel Obama Moliko is a 21-year-old law student in Equatorial Guinea.
She was Miss Supranational Equatorial Guinea in 2019 in which she also won a Supramodel award from Africa. She has participated in the international African textile show where she also took home the top model of Africa award. She is the director and a model monitor of the television program “Equatorial Guinea Top Model.”
