13 things about Mister Supranational Africa 2025 Luca Pontiggia

Dr. Luca Pontiggia is an Italian-South African data scientist, filmmaker and beauty king from Johannesburg, South Africa. He represented the country in the ninth edition of Mister Supranational.

BIOGRAPHY

As a data scientist, Pontiggia works in the financial insurance services industry with a focus in operations research. His mother is an artist and his father is an engineer.

In August 2025, Pontiggia turned 35. Here are 13 more things about him:

1. From 2009 to 2011, he attended the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg where he earned his bachelor’s degree in nuclear science and engineering.
2. From 2012 to 2013, he attended the University of the Witwatersrand where he earned his honors degree in physics.
3. From 2014 to 2015, he attended the University of the Witwatersrand where he earned his master’s degree in theoretical and mathematical physics.
4. From 2015 to 2018, he attended the University of the Witwatersrand where he earned his PhD in theoretical and computational physics.
5. In 2016, he visited Italy and Austria.
6. In 2017, he visited Germany and the United Kingdom.
7. In 2018, he visited Italy and Denmark.
8. In 2021, he visited Spain.
9. In 2022, he launched a science entertainment and communications company called The Universe on Stage.
10. He was Mister South Africa 2024 first runner-up.
11. He is Mister Supranational South Africa 2025.
12. He was a Mister Supranational 2025 semifinalist.
13. He was a Mister South Africa 2025 judge.

TIMELINE

Pontiggia was raised in an Italian family. He speaks Afrikaans, English, Italian and German.

2010s

• In January 2012, he joined The Links Bridge Club in Johannesburg as a scorer and an assistant manager and Husky Rescue South Africa as a volunteer.
• In December 2016, he traveled to Florence, Italy and Vienna, Austria.
• In August 2017, he traveled to Tübingen, Germany and Konstanz City, Germany.
• In September 2017, he traveled to Cologne, Germany; Lisbon, Portugal and London, England, U.K.
• In July 2018, he joined Discovery Limited in Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa as a senior data scientist.
• In October 2018, he traveled to Salò, Brescia, Lombardy, Italy; Milan, Italy and Copenhagen, Denmark.

2020s

• In October 2021, he traveled to Madrid, Spain.
• In May 2023, he traveled to Puglia, Italy.
• On November 10, 2024, he competed against nine other Mister South Africa 2024 candidates at Vodacom World Events in Johannesburg. He was runner-up to Marcel Roux.
• On May 6, 2025, he was officially appointed Mister Supranational South Africa 2025.
• On June 28, 2025, he represented South Africa at Mister Supranational 2025 and competed against 38 other candidates at the Strzelecki Park Amphitheater in Nowy Sacz, Malopolska, Poland. He finished in the Top 20 and was crowned Mister Supranational Africa 2025.
• On December 6, 2025, he served as a Mister South Africa 2025 judge at Vodacom World Events in Johannesburg.