Talent scouts are currently scouring Botswana for a candidate who will, on December 1, 2007 be crowned by the outgoing Miss Botswana, Malebogo Marumoagae, as the new Queen.
The scouts are bound for Ghanzi, where while being hosted by Tautona Lodge, will screen possible entrants on August 20 and 21. They were previously in Francistown, and soon will proceed to Jwaneng’s Debswana Club Hall on August 22 and 23 and, finally, Gaborone on August 25 and 26.
Scouting is a practice commonly used in the fashion industry at modelling contests and in which winners most often walk away with contracts from modelling agencies.
“Miss Botswana’s committee have adopted scouting as a pro-active way of finding prospective entrants for the beauty pageant this year,” Shombi Ellis, who is part of the beauty pageant’s public relations consulting team, said toThe Sunday Standard midweek.
Miss Botswana’s Director, Daisy Botsoba, and Assistant Director, Neo Selwe, are tasked with touring the country in search of a possible queen. They have, between them, 10 years’ experience of choosing and grooming Miss Botswana participants.
Ellis said to widen their scope, the scouts decided to seek out the girls, while retaining the traditional methods of advertising in the press and having prospective contestants sending in applications.
Their tour is intended to ensure that all regions are fairly represented. Ellis also added that Omang card bearing Batswana of all races and tribes are welcome to apply. As long as they are women, aged between 18 and 23 years and satisfying the Miss World’s minimum height requirement of 1.65m.
This years Miss Botswana is sponsored by a multi-national diamond polishing company with a local office, Motiganz Diamond Group, and the event is promised to be a televised glittery event hosted by the Gaborone International Convention Centre.
