The search for the replacement for reigning Miss Supranational Rwanda Shanita Umunyana to the crown is now taking shape after organisers announced 11 contestants battling for the crown.

Organised on the Rwandan chapter by Supra Family Rwanda Ltd, the annual beauty contest is seen as a good opportunity for Rwandan women to showcase their beauty, culture, and talent to the rest of the world.

The contestants were selected from 20 aspirants after they met all required terms and conditions of the beauty competition through online applications.

They include Alia Uguyeneza, Ange Princesse Urusaro, Denyse Uwase, Carine Umugwaneza, Irene Charlene and Grace Munezero.

Others are Claire Uwangabe, Divine Umunyana, Sandra Mushimiyimana, Audrey Shimwa and Anitha Habimana Umuratwa.

They were selected in two different rounds in line with new measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.

There are familiar faces in this year’s beauty contest edition as over half of the contestants had previously participated in Miss Rwanda 2020.

What next?

This year’s Miss Supranational contest in Rwanda will be held virtually to respect preventive measures against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. However, people will follow the competition on social media, online media, and TV shows, exclusively on TV1.

Contestants will be competing in five crucial challenges including humanitarian project development, social media influencing, debates and public speaking, entrepreneurship and fashion challenge.

Alphonse Nsengiyumva, the brains behind the beauty pageant, told The New Times that the challenges will decide the top five contestants who will progress to the pageant’s final slated for January 1, 2021.

"It is in the interests of a contestant who will get a chance to represent our country at future international beauty contests. We are doing our best to prepare them to ensure that their performance is on the same level as that of contestants from other countries while not just at Miss Supranational Global but other beauty contests in general,” explained Nsengiyumva in an interview.

A cross-section of contestants who are currently competing for the Miss Supranational Rwanda 2020 title.

Of the five finalists, he said, will include a contestant who will garner most votes, the best performing contestant in the social media influencing challenge and three more contestants who will be ranked according to how they fared in all of the five challenges.

The winner will replace Shanita Umunyana and apart from the crown will walk away with a cash prize of Rwf1 million.

She will also book an automatic ticket to represent Rwanda at the Miss Supranational Global 2021 to be held in May 2021 in Poland.