I think the most important thing... is leadership. It's something that has been lacking in young women and girls for a very long time, not because we don't want to but because of what society has labeled women to be. I think we are the most powerful beings in the world and that we should be given every opportunity.

Zozibini Tunzi

If learners do not have a roof under which they can learn we are already setting them up for failure.

Zozibini Tunzi

I am inspired by the likes of Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela, Princess Diana and those of their calibre. They understood fully what it means to be selfless and to stand for something.

Zozibini Tunzi

Beauty is subjective, so people's opinions don't really matter.

Zozibini Tunzi

I didn't enter Miss S.A. because I thought I was the most beautiful woman in S.A., I entered because it's one of the few platforms that give women the ability to lead and I knew I had a powerful voice and message to send out.

Zozibini Tunzi

People speak about diversity and representation like the world is ready. But when it actually happens, people can't take change. They can't deal with it. Which is why we have things like cyberbullying, which is why people will send you nasty DMs, say nasty things in your comments. Because they're just not dealing with it, they're not ready.

Zozibini Tunzi

My grandmother probably never thought she would see a day where, you know, a young black woman would be seen as a leader, which is incredible.

Zozibini Tunzi

I want the men of our nation to stand and take a stand against gender based violence.

Zozibini Tunzi

Women are not one-dimensional, we come in different shapes and sizes, and we are all equally beautiful.

Zozibini Tunzi

I'm so grateful to have been able to go to the world and tell the story of South African women and South African children. As I stood there for Miss Universe, I spoke about leadership and I spoke about empowering young women and young boys as well.

Zozibini Tunzi

It was a question I got asked often from my friends when they heard I had entered Miss S.A. - 'will you get a weave?' I always said I haven't changed myself before so why should I now change for a competition?

Zozibini Tunzi

I stand for the education of the South African youth, for equality and representation, as Miss South Africa, I cannot wait to make a contribution to these important social causes.

Zozibini Tunzi

We should be teaching young girls to take up space. Nothing is as important as taking up space in society and cementing yourself.

Zozibini Tunzi

Since sixth grade, I've been learning that the climate is deteriorating and the planet is dying, and it is up to us to keep our planet safe.

Zozibini Tunzi

My thing about gender-based violence is to bring in the men. Because people would ask women, 'What do you think we should do to fight this?' And I'm like, 'Why are you asking me?' I'm not the perpetrator in most of the instances so why don't we call on the people that are?

Zozibini Tunzi

Women are constantly being taught how to defend themselves against attack from men. I would like to shift the perception. I want to say that that responsibility should no longer rest on the shoulders of women alone.

Zozibini Tunzi

I think we are afraid to take up space. We are afraid to be amazing. As soon as that fear leaves us and we start building that confidence of being unapologetic about being great, then i think we can get into that space of having a lot of women leaders who are just fearless.

Zozibini Tunzi

I'm a daddy's girl.

Zozibini Tunzi

One minute I was a PR intern, the next I was Miss South Africa.

Zozibini Tunzi

Society has been conditioned for a very long time to see beauty as something that's been westernised.

Zozibini Tunzi

I never realised how overwhelming it could be to be loved by people who don't even know you.

Zozibini Tunzi