The Beautiful Miss Universe 2011 – Miss Angola, Leila Lopes will be arriving in South Africa today.
During her visit, Leila will attend a launch event for African Fashion International on Thursday, February 16 in support of Joburg Fashion Week 2012, which is scheduled to take place next month. She will also take time to visit one of Melinda Bam’s supported charities- Thuthuzela, an NGO which looks after abandoned and orphaned children in Alexandra Township.
Titles:
Miss Angola UK 2010 – she won this on October 8, 2010, gaining the right to take part in the Miss Angola 2011 elections, but the victory caused protests within the Angolan community in Britain, due to the fact that she was not a resident of the UK and thus, not eligible. The crucial win in England is what gave Lopes the opportunity to enter the Miss Angola 2011 contest and win Miss Universe 2011.
Miss Angola 2010 – held in Luanda on December 18, 2010, gaining the right to represent Angola in Miss Universe 2011. She also obtained the Photogenic Award during the contest.
Miss Universe 2011 – in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011. She became the first Angolan Miss Universe and the 60th titleholder. Lopes received the title from the former Miss Universe titleholder, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico. Lopes is the fourth African to win the title since the beginning of the worldwide pageant (South Africa in 1978, Namibia in 1992, Botswana in 1999 and Angola in 2011) and the second African woman of Black African descent to win following Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999 from Botswana. Lopes also became the first woman from Angola to win a “Big four” beauty pageant.
So far, during her reign, Lopes had traveled to Brazil, Singapore, Indonesia, Angola, Bahamas, Gabon, Jamaica and around the USA
Source: Wikipedia