Zozibini Tunzi shares TikTok video to celebrate move to New York [video]

SA’s Zozibini Tunzi, our new Miss Universe is set to take on her official role in New York and shared her excitement while walking to Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys.

Zozibini moved to New York following the star-studded Miss Universe pageant in Atlanta in the US earlier in December 2019. She moved into a luxury apartment in Manhattan which will be her home for the year of her reign.

“The apartment is so fantastic, with the most beautiful view,” she told the Sunday Times.

“There are three bedrooms and my roommate is Miss USA [Cheslie Kryst], so that’s the exciting thing, having a roommate… especially moving to a city and a country that you don’t know. I think she and I are going to get along so well.”

She took to the official Miss Universe account on TikTok, the leading destination for short-form video, to share her excitement.

TikTok and Miss Universe

It is reported that TikTok recently launched a crown sticker called “Miss Universe 2019” along with a hashtag challenge #missuniverse2019. The challenge took off with TikTok creators wearing the crown and imitating Zozibini’s reaction after Steve Harvey announced that South Africa had officially won Miss Universe. The challenge went viral overnight, with over 27 million shares already.

With an added comedic twist from creators, the challenge has allowed the TikTok community to be part of yet another celebratory moment for South Africa, and Africa as a whole. While some have created celebratory videos screaming and almost falling off chairs, others have simply used the hashtag to congratulate the newly crowned Miss Universe.

The account has over 206 000 followers and 1.7 million likes as of today, 17 December 2019.

https://t.co/3vOyPW2mmB

— Erene Oberholzer (@ereneoberholzer) December 17, 2019

A hectic schedule

It is reported that Zozibini’s schedule will be frenetic but the perks include a substantial salary – believed to be more than $100,000 (about R1.5m) in total – use of the apartment, clothing, styling, travel and living expenses. But most important for her is the huge exposure she will receive for the causes and charities she supports – including those in SA.