Miss Ghana runner up wins first Miss Africa Continent pageant

Rebecca Asamoah, second runner up of Miss Ghana 2015, has been crowned the first Miss Africa Continent, beating 11 finalists drawn from 40 contestants from across the continent in the inaugural pageant, the AFP reported from Johannesburg.

Rebecca Asamoah runner up walked away with a grant to study business management at Monash University in Johannesburg.

The 24-year-old dental hygienist reportedly entered the final stage in a traditional Ashanti gold-coloured beaded crown and then returned in an evening dress made from kente cloth.

Asamoah said she wanted to see young people help uplift the continent.

“There are a lot of things to be fixed in Africa – water, education, environmental issues,” she told AFP.

“My main concern is the empowerment of youth so we can work hand in hand and put our continent in the best place it should be.”

Runner-up was Michelo Malambo of Zambia, while South Africa’s Jemimah Kandimiri placed third.

The pageant is the brain child of South African film producer Neo Mashishi, who says it aims to empower young African women in fighting the continent’s woes and uplifting Africa.