Chidimma Adetshina: Rejected in South Africa, Crowned in Nigeria 

On her second attempt at beauty pageantry, Chidimma Adetshina, the newly crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, endured a devastating experience in South Africa, which led to her withdrawal from the Miss South Africa pageant. But her experience in Nigeria spells a powerful comeback from humiliation to

vindication. Vanessa Obioha captures this beauty queen’s undulating journey to fame

The saying “third time’s a charm” certainly rings true for the recently crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, 23-year-old Chidimma Adetshina. A few months ago, she was relatively unknown to most, but in July, her heritage became a public debate when she participated in the Miss South Africa pageant, making her a trending topic on the internet.

Adetshina, whose participation at the Miss South Africa was her second attempt at beauty pageants was at the centre of what many termed xenophobic attacks.

“I have always wanted to be a pageant girl. I always thought it was for younger girls. 2017 was when I was actually aware of pageant works,” she told BBC.

Born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, Adetshina always identified as South African, having only visited Nigeria once as a child.  South Africa has always felt like home; therefore, when in 2022, she decided to participate in beauty pageants, South Africa was her first choice. Although she wasn’t accepted in 2022, being the go-getter she was, she attempted again this year and went as far as securing a spot in the finals. That was when all hell broke loose.

Her heritage came under scrutiny as many wondered if she was South African enough to represent the country. A petition demanding her removal from the competition amassed more than 14,000 signatures before it was taken down.

“I am representing a country, but I don’t feel the love from the people I’m representing,” she said in an interview with Sowetan Live.

Nigerians labelled the backlash as xenophobic, drawing parallels to the racial tensions that have plagued their community in South Africa for years. Between 2019 and February 2022, the News Agency of Nigeria estimated that at least 128 Nigerians were killed in South Africa. 

But Nigeria is not the only country that has been victimised for their nationality. Other African nations have been victims of a particular strain of xenophobia in South Africa known as ‘afrophobia’ which targets African nations.  Last year’s Miss South Africa contestant, Melissa Nayimuli told the BBC that Adetshina’s experience was similar to hers. She said she received a great amount of bile because her father is Ugandan.

Adetshina’s situation was aggravated when South Africa’s Home Affairs department accused her mother of identity theft to become a South African national. Following that devastating news, she withdrew from the competition.

The emotional and mental toll of that experience on Adetshina can still be glimpsed. During her BBC interview, Adetshina broke down when she was asked about the matter. She openly admitted that she is yet to heal from the trauma and would seek therapy.

“It’s just not a nice feeling at all; I think I’ve been avoiding it a lot, and only now has it started to cloud me. It’s something I would work on and seek therapy because I feel like I have been suppressing my emotions. What happened is not a minor thing. It is major.”

Beauty pageants are often a platform for cultural representation. The models usually represent a homogenous community of people irrespective of their own ethnicity but that concept often is criticised, giving room for racial discrimination.

The abuse comes in different forms; sometimes as a result of one’s skin colour as seen in the backlash given to Miss Algeria winner Khadija Ben Hamou in 2019. She was criticised for having a dark skin colour common in the southern Adrar region.

In other cases, it boils down to one’s heritage as seen in 2015 with Miss Universe Japan. The winner, Ariana Miyamoto, was criticised for being biracial, and as such, considered not deserving of representing the country. Miyamoto was born to a Japanese mother and an African-American father.

While considerable attempts have been made to make pageants more inclusive and diverse over the years, racial biases still linger.

Reacting to how the experience has affected how she views herself, Adetshina told the BBC she still feels proud of her South African and Nigerian heritage.

“I think these are just little barriers that sort of divide us which I think shouldn’t be the case at all…It’s just us needing to know when and how we need to start accepting the differences and not making them a barrier to separate us.”

Like a fairytale story, Adetshina was presented with another opportunity to achieve her goal. Silverbird Group, organisers of Miss Universe, reached out to her to participate in Miss Universe Nigeria 2024.

“I didn’t want to accept it at first but I’m a go-getter. So I felt like this was just a second chance, why not give it another try,” she told BBC.

Adetshina joined the competition at the final stages, representing Taraba State. On Saturday, August 31, when the contest was held, it was Adetshina who wore the sparkling crown. She will represent Nigeria in Mexico in November when the international version of the pageant will be held.

Her win however did not augur well with a few. Some believe she was handed the crown on a platter.

“I think her win was compensation for the xenophobic attacks she received in South Africa,” a beauty therapist Precious Adegbola told THISDAY. “I don’t think she deserves the crown.”

Offering a different perspective, Public Relations consultant Jerry Adeyeri argued that her win was well deserved.

“I solidly believe she does deserve the crown. Chidimma’s victory wasn’t just about reclaiming a crown; it was a powerful celebration of her roots and heritage,” he said. “Despite facing xenophobic backlash in South Africa, she didn’t let the negativity define her or scare her from making other attempts. Instead, she drew strength from her origins, embodying the essence of her originality, by proudly embracing her Nigerian identity. After all, there is no place like home.

“Rather than being discouraged by external pressures, she turned her story into a testament to resilience, standing tall as a symbol of hope for a continent that thrives on its rich heritage. Adetshina didn’t just win a pageant; she captivated hearts by staying true to her roots and letting them fuel her ambition.

“I think more Nigerians should emulate her courage and never-say-never spirit, which is inborn in the average Nigerian. It is just about giving life to that spirit and allowing it to flourish.”

In her defence, Adetshina said she went through the same journey as other contestants.

“I didn’t think it was easy. The girls here were competitive, they really showcased themselves really well and there was not much of a difference,” she said. “I do get the point, I do get where the people were coming from, but at the end of the day, I also had my own journey, I had my own fair share of going through the process. It might have been a slight difference, obviously, but I did go through the journey they went through as well.”

Whether her victory was compensation or not, the fact remains that Adetshina did not let her experience define her. She aptly captured her win this way: “So for me, it’s a tap on the shoulder. It is done. You have accomplished it. And even though it was a rough path for you, you really stepped up, and you showed how powerful and strong and resilient, and how you can embody the spirit of perseverance. I think I really give myself that title of a strong black African woman.”