13 things about Miss South Africa 1994 Bassie Kumalo

Basetsana Julia “Bassie” Makgalemele Kumalo and her husband Romeo Kumalo co-founded the Romeo and Basetsana Kumalo Family Foundation. She is the third Miss World first runner-up from South Africa following Pearl Jansen and Palesa Mofokeng.

BIOGRAPHY

Bassie is a South African media mogul, businesswoman, philanthropist and beauty queen born in Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa to Ntate “Philip” Makgalemele and Beatrice Nomazizi Makgalemele. Bassie has one brother named Mojalefa Makgalemele and two sisters namely Aus’ Lerato Makgalemele and Johanna Makgalemele.

Romeo and Bassie have two sons namely Nkosinathi Gabriel Kumalo and uShaka Kgositsile Emmanuel Kumalo and one daughter named Bontle ba Morena Jasmine Kumalo. Here are 13 more things about Bassie:

1. She won Miss Soweto 1990 and Miss Black South Africa 1990.
2. While dating Dingaan Thobela, she won Miss South Africa 1994 and became Miss World 1994 first runner-up.
3. In 1996, she became the Tswelopele Productions executive chairperson.
4. In 1997, she started dating Romeo and she became the director of a travel management company called Travel with Flair.
5. In 2001, she joined a diamond mining company called Tawana Resources as a non-executive director.
6. In 2002, she obtained a diploma in marketing from Damelin College in Durban, eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
7. From 2004 to 2017, she was the PHAB Property Holdings chairperson.
8. In 2005, she became the director of Uzalile Investments, a woman-owned and listed coal mining company.
9. From 2005 to 2012, she attended the University of South Africa in Pretoria, Tshwane, Gauteng where she earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations and communications.
10. From January 2007 to December 2013, she was the Leungo Investment Holdings director.
11. In 2013, she obtained a diploma in executive education on global leadership from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
12. In 2014, she participated in a program on leadership and decision making in the 21st century at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
13. On March 29, 2025, she turned 50.

TIMELINE

Bassie graduated from Thabisang Primary School in Orlando, Soweto and Trinity Secondary School in Lenasia, Johannesburg, Gauteng. She entered the University of Venda in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, South Africa where she majored in education.

1994

• On September 24, 1994, she competed against nine other Miss South Africa 1994 finalists at the Sun City Entertainment Center in Sun City, Moses Kotane, North West, South Africa. She won the title.
• On November 19, 1994, she represented South Africa at Miss World 1994 and competed against 86 other candidates at the Sun City Entertainment Center. She was runner-up to Aishwarya Rai of India.

1995

• On September 2, 1995, she crowned her successor Miss South Africa 1995 Bernelee Daniell at the Sun City Superbowl in Sun City.

2000

• On December 9, 2000, she and Romeo got married.

2004

• On April 18, 2004, she gave birth to Nkosinathi.

2012

• On May 7, 2012, she gave birth to uShaka.

2014

• On July 23, 2014, she gave birth to Bontle.

2015

• On July 18, 2015, she attended the 2015 MTV Africa Music Awards at the Durban International Conference Centre in Durban.

2016

• On September 26, 2016, she attended Winnie Madikizela-Mandela‘s 80th birthday celebration at the Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.

2017

• On August 03, 2017, she attended the Bonang Mathebas From A to B book launch at Sandton Citys Diamond Walk in Johannesburg.
• On October 9, 2017, she attended the official launch of the 67 blankets for Mandela Day-Massive Mandela Masterpiece at the Blue Train departure lounge in Pretoria.
• On October 25, 2017, she walked the runway at the South African Fashion Week (SAFW) Autumn and Winter 2018 Collections at the Sandton City Rooftop in Johannesburg.

2018

• On April 23, 2018, she attended a centenary celebration of the Mandela Day at the Constitution Hill in Johannesburg.
• On May 27, 2018, she attended Miss South Africa 2018 at the Time Square Sun Arena in Pretoria.
• On November 15, 2018, she attended the 10th annual Feather Awards at the Johannesburg City Hall in Johannesburg.
• On November 18, 2018, she attended the SA Style Awards in Johannesburg.
• On November 29, 2018, she attended the Nelson Mandela Foundations Isthunzi Sabafazi The Dignity of Women conversation at the Soweto campus of the University of Johannesburg where Oprah Winfrey delivered the keynote address.
• On December 1, 2018, she attended the official welcome dinner of the Mandela 100 Global Citizen Festival at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton.

2019

• On August 9, 2019, she attended Miss South Africa 2019 at the Time Square Sun Arena in Pretoria.
• On October 16, 2019, she attended Lornas Cook‘s book launch at Sandton City’s Diamond Walk in Sandton, Johannesburg.
• On November 17, 2019, she attended the 2019 SA Style Awards at the Sandton San Deck in Sandton.

2020

• On March 17, 2020, Penguin Random House South Africa published her book “Bassie: My Journey of Hope”.
• On November 22, 2020, she attended the 2020 SA Style Awards at the Sandton Sun Hotel Reception in Sandton.

2021

• On May 28, 2021, she attended the Rubicon SAFW SS21 Viewing in Johannesburg.
• On October 16, 2021, she served as a judge at Miss South Africa 2021 at the Grand West Arena in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

2022

• On August 13, 2022, she attended Miss South Africa 2022 at the SunBet Arena at Time Square in Pretoria.
• On October 20, 2022, she attended the SAFWin Midrand, Johannesburg.

2023

• She and Romeo filed a defamation case against Jackie Phamotse, who was found guilty on September 21, 2023 of contempt of court, criminal defamation and two counts of crimen injuria.

2024

• On October 17, 2024, she attended the honoring service of Pastor Ray McCauley at Rhema Bible Church in Johannesburg.