86 countries will be represented in the 71st Miss Universe beauty pageant.
For the first time, Bhutan will compete for the Miss Universe crown while Angola, Belize, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay return to participate.
Sixteen nominees will be upstream qualified by a pre-selection jury and announced during the ceremony to be held at the New Orleans Memorial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 14, 2023.
Meet all the contestants representing the participating African countries.
Miss Universe Seychelles – Gabriella Gonthier
Gabriella Gonthier was born in Sydney, Australia, but grew up in the beautiful archipelago of the Seychelles Islands, specifically Mahe. Gabriella graduated from the University of London with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a specialization in International Business.
Miss Universe Cameroon – Mouketey Lynette Monalisa Jelly
Mouketey Lynette Monalisa Jelly is extremely sociable and has a great love for people. She is also very strategic in her decision making. She is especially passionate about helping children; she organizes Hope Day, a program that helps elementary school children access school supplies.
Miss Universe Ghana – Engracia Mofuman
Engracia Afua K. Mofuman is a professional model and translator in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese. She grew up in Ghana, as well as a number of other African countries, which fostered an appreciation for different cultures. This led him to pursue a master’s degree in International Relations.
Miss Universe Namibia – Cassia Sharpley
Cassia Sharpley is a vibrant, multi-faceted young woman with 17 years of experience in the performing arts as a dancer, singer, actress, model, musician and songwriter. Her passion also lies in the field of medicine as a paramedic.
Miss Universe South Africa – Ndavi Nokeri
Ndavi Nokeri has been crowned Miss Universe South Africa in August 2022. She holds a BCom Investment Management degree from the University of Pretoria and was working for an asset management firm at the time of her crowning.
Miss Universe Equatorial Guinea – Alba Isabel Obama Moliko
Alba Isabel Obama Moliko is a 21-year-old law student in Equatorial Guinea. She was Miss Supranational Equatorial Guinea in 2019, in which she also won a Supramodel from Africa award. She participated in the international fashion show of African textiles, where she also received the top model of Africa award. She is the director and model monitor of the television program “Equatorial Guinea Top Model”.
