South African Pictorial held Miss South Africa in 1923, which was won by Doris Gwendoline Heliwell with W. J. van Blommestein and Marjorie Elizabeth Cowley as the respective first and second princesses. In 1943, Susie Smuts became the second woman to hold the title.
However, it was Norma Vorster who won the first official Miss South Africa competition in 1956. It was open to white females only.
In 1970, South Africa started sending two candidates to Miss World, a black woman called Miss Africa South and a white woman called Miss South Africa. South African clothing company owner Harry Solarsh sponsored Miss Africa South.
As Miss Africa South 1970, Pearl Gladys Jansen became the first black woman to represent South Africa in Miss World. She was runner-up to Miss World 1970 Jennifer Hosten of Grenada.
- beauty pageant: Miss South Africa
- edition: 17th
- venue: Johannesburg City Hall, Johannesburg, Transvaal Province, South Africa
- date: August 5, 1972
- finalists: 7
FINALISTS
- Beverly Rowe (Eastern Province)
- Carolien van Niekerk (Southern Transvaal)
- Cecilia Fourie (Orange Free State)
- Charlome Vermaak (Northern Transvaal)
- Daphne de Villiers (South West Africa)
- Robin-Gail Hargreaves (Western Province)
- Stephanie Reinecke (Natal)
WINNERS
| PLACEMENT | 1972 | 1971 |
| 2nd princess | Carolien van Niekerk Southern Transvaal | Maria Claassen Eastern Province |
| 1st princess | Robin-Gail Hargreaves Western Province | Merle Worsley Western Province |
| Miss South Africa | Stephanie Elizabeth Reinecke Natal Province | Monica Fairall Natal Province |
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
- beauty pageant: Miss World
- edition: 22nd
- venue: Royal Albert Hall, London, England, United Kingdom
- date: December 1, 1972
- candidates: 53
| NAME | AGE, HOMETOWN | RESULT |
| Stephanie Elizabeth Reinecke Miss South Africa 1972 | 19, Natal Province, South Africa | Miss World 1972 Top 15 |
| Cynthia Shange Miss Africa South 1972 | 23, Lamontville, EThekwini, Natal Province, South Africa | Miss World 1972 (unplaced) |
CONAN Daily 