South Africa’s pageant world has suffered one of the biggest blows yet as Mis SA’s director and pageant coach Werner Wessels aka ‘The Queen Maker’ has announced his resignation from his position as the creative director, marking an end to an incredible and historic era.
Among many other things, South Africa has garnered an impressive reputation globally as one of the more successful countries as far as pageantry is concerned, particularly the Miss SA franchise, as they boast of being one of the most successful African countries to compete at the coveted Miss Universe competition.
This success did not occur by luck but is rather often credited to one man: Werner Wessels, who has garnered the nickname ‘Queen Maker’ for his unique ability to equip mzansi’s queens with everything they need to compete among the best countries in the world. His illustrious career speaks for itself, as he has helped guide both Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and Zozibini Tunzi to their reign as Miss Universe in 2017 and 2019.
Lalela Mswane’s success at the Miss Supranational competition can also be attributed to the Wessel, as he continued to live up to his name. Those who have followed his career closely were excited and curious to see how he would’ve handled Mia Le Roux’s unique situation at last year’s showing at Miss Universe.
Taking to his Instagram, the former creative director penned an emotional message to all of his supporters, the pageantry world as well as all the amazing women who have trusted his skills and talents, and have allowed him to bestow his knowledge onto them, taking them to unprecedented heights in their careers.
“I have always said I want my career to be a love letter to women, a celebration of their courage, brilliance, and limitless potential. It is a tribute to South African women who, despite challenges, rise above and continue to inspire,” the message reads.
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As expected, this announcement was met with plenty of emotional reactions, as many are aware that this marks the end of a historic era for South African pageantry. Werner’s hard work and dedication to his craft have made him a much-loved part of a gruelling industry, and his departure from the franchise has caused much concern regarding who is going to be trusted with the difficult task of filling his shoes.
Werner Wessels’ absence will definitely be felt at the Miss SA organisation. The organisation was moving weird already last year, and now it will get even worse
— Aphiwe (@aphiwemdu) January 24, 2025
Also see: Brenda Ngxoli garners massive financial support from mzansi amid family woes
