Trailblazing Miss World contestant Cynthia Shange has died at age 76. The South African Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture confirmed her death with an official statement shared on Monday, April 20.

Trailblazer Cynthia Shange, regarded in South Africa as the first black woman to represent the country in the prestigious Miss World beauty competition at the height of apartheid, has died aged 76.

The fallout surrounding the Miss Universe pageant continues as Miss Iceland becomes the latest contestant to renounce her title.

On Wednesday, 29 April 2026, Nonhle Thema remembered her parents on Instagram after recently losing her mother, Cynthia Shange, who passed away at 76 She posted a throwback photo of both her late ...