Amy Kleinhans

Amy Kleinhans-Curd (born 1968) is a South African beauty queen who was Miss South Africa 1992,[1] the first non-white winner in the history of South Africa. She placed fourth runner-up to Miss World as Miss World Africa on 12 December 1992.

Amy Kleinhans
Born	Amy Kleinhans
Other names	Amy Kleinhans-Curd
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Title	Miss South Africa 1992
Beauty pageant titleholder
Hair color	Black
Eye color	Brown
Major competition(s)	Miss South Africa 1991 (1st runner-up) Miss South Africa 1992 (Winner) Miss World 1992 (4th runner-up) (Miss World Africa)

Miss South Africa

As a 23-year-old Cape Coloured woman, she competed for the first time in 1991 and placed second. She competed the following year and defeated 11 other contestants for the title of Miss South Africa 1992, the first time ever a non-white woman was crowned in the history of Miss South Africa.[1]

Her first runner-up was also non-white, black woman Augustine Masilela of Soweto, who would be a Top 10 semifinalist at Miss Universe 1995.

Kleinhans would crown her successor a year later, Palesa Jacqui Mofokeng, who would be the first black Miss South Africa ever and second non-white to capture the crown.[2]

In 2014, she was guest judge in the final Miss South Africa 2014 beauty pageant, venue in the Sun City Superbowl, Rustenburg, South Africa. Transmitted by television network DStv.

Miss World 1992

As the official representative of her country to the 1992 Miss World pageant held in Sun City, South Africa on 12 December, she became Miss World Africa and 4th runner-up to eventual winner Julia Kourotchkina of Russia.

During the pageant participants paraded with the flag of their country. Amy refused to walk with the flag of then apartheid South Africa. She chose instead to walk with a white flag, symbolising peace. After the event she received a phone call from Nelson Mandela thanking her for making that decision.[3]

The dress she wore while participating in the pageant, a white and gold Stefania Morland design with elaborate ostrich feather details, is on exhibition at the CP Nel Museum in Oudtshoorn.

Personal life

Amy Kleinhans is married to New Zealand businessman Leighton Curd, and is the mother of four children.

References

1. "Non-white woman is Miss South Africa". The Times-News. Hendersonville, North Carolina. 2 August 1992. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
2. "Pageant victory is a first for blacks". The Gainesville Sun. Gainesville, Florida. 9 August 1993. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
3. Bell, Kim. "Beauty Through the Ages: Amy Kleinhans-Curd (1992)". Longevity Live. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Diana Tilden-Davis	Miss World Africa 1992	Succeeded by Palesa Mofokeng
Preceded by Diana Tilden-Davis	Miss South Africa 1992	Succeeded by Palesa Mofokeng