Renowned as the country’s premier pageant and development programme for married women, the formidable Mrs South Africa team comes together every year to empower a new generation of Mrs SA contestants, while continuing their efforts to support their burgeoning Alumni class.

And one long-time goal for the Mrs SA Board of Directors has been to take some of their alumni and current contestants, including both past and reigning queens and princesses, as well as their mentors along for an unforgettable trip.

Earlier this month, some 65 alumni, mentors, contestants, Queens and their families, set off from the Port of Cape Town for an exclusive five-day trip christened the Queens Cruise. This inaugural voyage, hosted by Mrs SA’s official sponsor MSC Cruises South Africa, saw these spectacular passengers travel to Namibia where they docked at Walvis Bay and spent the day exploring Dune 7, while creating breath-taking content for the delight of their social media audiences.

In the evening, the group came together for drinks, socialising, and networking before heading off to dinner at 8pm.

“Networking is at the core of our renowned alumni programme and this cruise is really an extension of that. Our alumni regularly come together to connect, leverage the power of the growing Mrs SA network, share their current projects and initiatives, and act as official scouts and mentors,” explains Marlene Reddy-Ribeiro, Chief Operating Officer of Mrs SA.

“Many alumni continue to play key roles in our workshops for new contestants, where they share the benefits of their industry knowledge and expertise.”

One of the Queens Cruise’s main goals was to showcase their amazing group of powerful women through creating inspiring content, while demonstrating the value of being part of this unshakeable sisterhood. Mrs South Africa continues to be involved in their queens’ lives, even past their year of reign, building close relationships within its network of women that continues to grow stronger over time, says Reddy-Ribeiro.

“It’s always wonderful to see that, no matter how far someone has gone on the Mrs SA journey, and whether they received a title or not, our contestants often stay involved with our programme.”

“The women who have been on this journey, with us, can attest to the fact that the lessons and skills they learned through the programme, and the sisterhood which they have helped to build never leaves us.”

MSC Cruises South Africa came onboard as one of the official Mrs SA sponsors at the beginning of the year.  Famous for providing unforgettable cruise experiences, the company has already proven an incredible and highly willing partner in helping to make Mrs SA’s many events and programmes a resounding success, while assisting with brand content creation activities and connecting with contestants.

Reddy-Ribeiro notes that the pageant is selective about its partner organisations and sponsors, and that Mrs SA was deeply impressed by MSC Cruise’s sincere commitment to sustainability and the future of the planet. As evidence of this commitment, its new cruise ships are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible at sea, from cleaner technologies to innovative restaurant concepts.

“MSC Cruises is delighted to be a partner to Mrs South Africa this year and hopefully beyond 2023,” adds Ross Volk, MSC Cruises’ Managing Director.

“We are always pleased and welcome the opportunities to work and collaborate with great organisations that aim to empower and inspire, and Mrs South Africa is one such organisation. We look forward to seeing this partnership come to life and to many more years of working together.”