10 things about Miss World South Africa 1998 Kerishnie Naicker

Kerishnie Naicker is an Indian-South African pharmacist and beauty queen. She was born in Durban, eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to Joey Bala Naicker and Amra Naicker.

On March 5, 1994, Joey died from a heart attack. He was 50.

BIOGRAPHY

Naicker is 5’6″ tall. Here are 10 more things about her:

1. grew up in Reservoir Hills, Durban with her two siblings.
2. In 1995, she earned an honours degree in pharmacy.
3. She won Miss South Africa 1997.
4. From January 1998 to January 2005, she was a South African Broadcast Corporation (SABC) television anchor.
5. She was a Miss Universe 1998 finalist.
6. She was a Miss World 1998 finalist.
7. From January 2011 to January 2014, she was the communications director of Netcare in Johannesburg.
8. In January 2014, she became an executive director at SABC.
9. In 2024, she had a surgery.
10. On March 2, 2025, she turned 52.

TIMELINE

Naicker is the first Miss South Africa of Indian descent. She is the first beauty queen to represent South Africa in both Miss Universe and Miss World.

1997

• On August 2, 1997, she competed against eight other Miss South Africa 1997 finalists at the Sun City Superbowl in Sun City, Moses Kotane, North West, South Africa and won the title.

1998

• On May 12, 1998, she represented South Africa at Miss Universe 1998 and competed against 80 other candidates at the Stan Sheriff Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. She finished in the Top 10.
• On November 26, 1998, she represented South Africa at Miss World 1998 and competed against 85 other candidates at the Lake Berjaya Mahé Resort in Mahé, Seychelles. She finished in the Top 5.
• On December 12, 1998, she crowned her successor Miss South Africa 1998 Sonia Raciti at the Sun City Superbowl.

2000

• In January 2000, she founded the Kerishnie Naicker Welfare Initiative.

2001

• On June 1, 2001, she and Nelson Mandela attended the launch of the Chatsworth computer learning and skills center in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

2016

• On March 19, 2016, she attended the Miss South Africa 2016 coronation ceremony at Carnival City in Johannesburg.

2017

• On March 26, 2017, she attended the Miss South Africa 2017 coronation ceremony at Sun City Superbowl in Rustenburg, Bojanala, North West, South Africa.

2018

• On May 27, 2018, she attended the Miss South Africa 2018 coronation ceremony at the Sun Arena at Time Square in Pretoria, Gauteng.
• On November 18, 2018, she attended the SA Style Award in Johannesburg.

2019

• On August 9, 2019, she attended the Miss South Africa 2019 coronation ceremony at the Sun Arena at Time Square in Pretoria.
• On October 17, 2019, she attended the 2019 Feather Awards held at Fox Junction in Johannesburg.
• On November 17, 2019, she attended the SA Style Awards in Johannesburg.

2020

• On May 10, 2020, her aunt Devi Reddy passed away.

2022

• On August 13, 2022, she attended the Miss South Africa 2022 coronation ceremony at the SunBet Arena at Time Square in Pretoria.

2024

• On March 30, 2024, her mother passed away.
• In May 2024, she was accidentally tripped by a female tourist taking a pictures of the lighthouse in Cape Point in South Africa, causing her to fall down two steps. She was rushed to Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa where she had a surgery.