The newly crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, has revealed why South Africans did not support her ambition of becoming Miss South Africa.
Adetshina said their rejection fueled her decision to withdraw from the Miss South Africa beauty pageant.
In a recent interview with Silverbird TV, she explained that she felt unaccepted by South Africans “because of my Igbo name.”
Reflecting on her experience, Chidimma described the ordeal as “horrible and heartbreaking.”
Despite being born in South Africa, the 23-year-old expressed pride in her Nigerian heritage, stating, “I am proudly Nigerian.
“It all started because of my name. People were not happy that my name is Chidimma and I am representing South Africa.
“South Africans felt like I wasn’t South African enough because of my name. It was really sad to see and it was a very horrible experience that I wouldn’t wish on anybody.
“I have lived there for 23 years and it’s heartbreaking to see that I wasn’t welcomed and accepted. There were certain things that happened behind the scenes that made me withdraw. It was heartbreaking that I had to withdraw close to the finale but a decision had to be made and it hit social media as well.
“But what I know is that I was born in South Africa and I am a South African. I am still proudly Nigerian as well,” she said.
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The model faced controversy this year due to her Nigerian nationality, sparking criticism on social media, particularly from South Africans.
This backlash ultimately led Chidimma to step down from the Miss South Africa competition.
On August 14, she accepted the invitation to participate in this year’s Miss Universe Nigeria pageant.
She was crowned the winner of the 2024 pageant on Saturday.
Adetshina will be representing the country on the global stage in Mexico.