On Nov. 9 the Miss Universe beauty pageant will be held with 87 contestants competing for the crown. Among them are South Africa's Marilyn Ramos and Tanzania's Betty Omara.
South Africa has been participating in the competition since 1952 and won the crown in 1978. In 2012 the country made it to the top 10 but failed to get further in the competition. Ramos won the Miss South Africa crown in 2012, which qualified her for Miss Universe. She currently studies landscape design and architecture at Inscape Design College in Pretoria, South Africa, and hopes to one day open her own fitness and wellness center. In her spare time she enjoys hockey, swimming and horseback riding. She also enjoys charity work and in the last year she has worked to help improve the lives of children in her community.
Tanzania has a short history with the pageant and started submitting in 2007. That year the country made it into the top 10 but since then has failed to break into the top five. Omara won the Miss Tanzania 2013 pageant, qualifying for Miss Universe. The 20-year-old currently works as a model and dreams of becoming a journalist and reporting on international affairs. She also has a passion for philanthropy and helping others. In her spare time she enjoys running and singing.
The Miss Universe Pageant is a beauty contest that promotes women who are looking to make a difference. The winner of the contest reigns for one year and gets to travels all over the world. Additionally, the winner receives one year supply of cosmetics, wardrobe, shoes and acting classes at the New York Film Academy. The current Miss Universe, Olivia Culpo, will crown the new winner at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia.