Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina is a Nigerian-South African beauty pageant titleholder who captured global attention in 2024 when she went from being a controversial Miss South Africa contestant to winning Miss Universe Nigeria and finishing as the first runner-up at Miss Universe 2024. Born on 8 January 2001 at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, South Africa, Adetshina’s journey has been marked by triumph, controversy, and an ongoing legal battle over her citizenship.
At 25 years old, she has become a symbol of resilience and multicultural representation, inspiring young women across Africa to pursue their dreams despite societal challenges. Her story is one of perseverance, as she navigated xenophobia, personal loss, and legal battles while achieving international pageantry success.
Personal Information
Full name: Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina
Date of birth: 8 January 2001
Age: 25 years old (as of 2026)
Place of birth: Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Soweto, South Africa
Nationality: Nigerian-South African
Height: 1.70 metres (5 feet 7 inches)
Education: Law student
Occupation: Beauty pageant titleholder, model, law student
Titles: Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, Miss Universe Africa and Oceania 2024
Major competitions: Miss South Africa 2024 (Top 16, withdrew), Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 (Winner), Miss Universe 2024 (1st Runner-Up)
Early Life and Education
Chidimma Adetshina was born on 8 January 2001 at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, a township near Johannesburg, South Africa. She grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, where she was raised in a multicultural household. Her father is Nigerian of Igbo descent, while her mother is Mozambican.
Adetshina has always had a passion for pageantry, revealing in interviews that she had been fascinated by beauty pageants since the age of five. She first attempted to enter Miss South Africa in 2023 but was rejected. She tried again in 2024 but was initially rejected due to her name, Chidimma Adetshina, which organisers reportedly felt was not “South African enough”.
As of 2024, Adetshina is a law student, balancing her academic pursuits with her pageantry career. She stated in a BBC Pidgin interview after Miss Universe 2024 that she would be retiring from the beauty-queen phase of her life to focus on her education.
Pageantry Career
Miss South Africa 2024 Controversy
Adetshina entered Miss South Africa 2024 and became a finalist. However, her participation faced intense scrutiny and backlash from some South Africans who questioned her eligibility to compete due to her Nigerian father and Mozambican mother.
A petition was signed by thousands demanding her withdrawal from the competition. The South African Department of Home Affairs launched an investigation into her citizenship, and the controversy deepened when preliminary evidence suggested potential fraud involving her mother’s acquisition of South African citizenship.
On 8 August 2024, Adetshina withdrew from the Miss South Africa competition, citing concerns for her safety and well-being amid xenophobic threats. The Miss South Africa pageant maintained that she had fulfilled all the requirements to participate.
Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 Victory
Following her withdrawal from Miss South Africa, Adetshina was invited by Silverbird Group to compete in Miss Universe Nigeria 2024. She represented Taraba State in the competition.
On 31 August 2024, Adetshina was crowned Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 at the Eko Hotels & Suites in Lagos, emerging victorious from among 25 contestants and earning a grand prize of N10 million (approximately R115,752).
Reacting to the win, Adetshina said: “What an incredible journey this has been. Standing here as Miss Universe Nigeria is a dream come true and I am honoured and humbled to wear this crown. I dedicate this crown to God almighty, who has been my strength through every trial and triumph”.
Miss Universe 2024: Historic First Runner-Up
On 17 November 2024, Adetshina represented Nigeria at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant held in Mexico City. She finished as the first runner-up and was also crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, making her the highest-ranked African contestant of 2024.
Her placement is Nigeria’s highest at any Miss Universe pageant, cementing her place in Nigerian pageantry history.
Personal Life
Marriage and Motherhood
Adetshina has a one-year-old son. She was previously married but got divorced in February 2024. In an interview with Sowetan Live Magazine, she explained: “We were not compatible because he had this ideology of what an African married woman is. I didn’t want to be in a position where I can’t go out, but had to clean, cook…that was just not for me because, as a society, we are way past that phase”.
Simple Lifestyle
Despite her pageantry success, Adetshina describes herself as simple and low-maintenance. She enjoys Nigerian foods including egusi, okro, and jollof rice.
Legal Battles and Deportation Case
Citizenship Investigation
In October 2024, the South African Department of Home Affairs revoked Adetshina’s South African identity and travel documents following an investigation into alleged irregularities involving her mother’s documentation.
Home Affairs found prima facie indications of fraud and identity theft involving her mother’s acquisition of South African citizenship. However, the department stressed that Adetshina was a child at the time and could not have been involved in any alleged wrongdoing.
Arrest and Legal Proceedings
In June 2026, Adetshina was arrested in Summer Greens, Cape Town, after authorities alleged that she and her young son were living in South Africa without lawful status. She was accused of re-entering South Africa illegally via a Mozambican border post.
She appeared in court on 9 June and was released on warning, subject to conditions, while the legal process continued. The Department of Home Affairs is seeking to have her detained pending deportation, while her lawyers are pursuing legal avenues over her immigration status.
Court Proceedings Postponed to 2027
On 18 August 2026, Adetshina appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court, where judgment was postponed to 27 February 2027. The postponement was to allow for the finalisation of her review application challenging Home Affairs’ decision to deport her.
Adetshina remains a free woman until the legal process has been completed.
Public Protests and Support
Adetshina’s case has drawn protests outside the court. Members of anti-immigration groups, including March and March and Operation Dudula, staged protests calling for her deportation. Protesters chanted “Chidimma go home” and some chased after her car as she left the courthouse.
However, she has also received support from various quarters. The Economic Freedom Fighters publicly defended her, calling for an end to xenophobia in South Africa and advocating for inclusivity.
Adetshina’s Response to the Controversy
Speaking after the hearing in Cape Town, Adetshina reiterated that she was born in South Africa and has applied through proper legal channels to have her status and citizenship determined.
“I believe that I have been treated unfairly and targeted. And there has been an attempt to make me an example, but my message is not going to be one born of anger,” she said.
She called on South Africans to allow the legal process to take its course, warning against xenophobia and misinformation: “South Africa is governed by the rule of law, and we should not allow xenophobia and misinformation to determine how people are going to be treated. We should all be guided by the spirit of Ubuntu”.
ALSO CHECK: Ndibo Ndibs Biography: South African Amapiano Vocalist Making Waves
Vision and Legacy
Adetshina has expressed a vision of African unity and peaceful co-existence. In her acceptance speech as Miss Universe Nigeria, she said: “Let’s break down the barriers that divide us. Let’s foster a continent where every African can move freely without prejudice, pursue their dreams and contribute to the growth and prosperity of our great continent”.
Despite the challenges she has faced, Adetshina is celebrated as a symbol of resilience and multicultural representation. Her achievements inspire young women to pursue their dreams despite societal challenges.
Points
- Birth and Heritage: Born 8 January 2001 in Soweto, South Africa, to a Nigerian father and Mozambican mother.
- Miss South Africa: Withdrew from Miss South Africa 2024 amid xenophobic backlash and citizenship controversy.
- Miss Universe Nigeria: Won Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 representing Taraba State.
- Miss Universe: Finished first runner-up at Miss Universe 2024, Nigeria’s highest placement ever.
- Legal Battle: Facing deportation from South Africa after citizenship revocation; case postponed to February 2027.
- Personal Life: Single mother to a son; divorced in February 2024.
Conclusion
Chidimma Adetshina’s journey from Miss South Africa controversy to Miss Universe Nigeria and Miss Universe first runner-up is a remarkable story of resilience and determination. Despite facing xenophobia, personal challenges, and an ongoing legal battle over her citizenship, she has emerged as a symbol of multicultural representation and African unity.
As she continues to fight to remain in South Africa, Adetshina remains committed to her education and to using her platform to promote inclusion and acceptance across Africa. Her story serves as an inspiration to young women across the continent to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles they face.