Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters is a South African model and beauty pageant titleholder who is crowned Miss Universe 2017. She is born 28th June 1995 in Sedgefield, Western Cape, to Bennie Peters and Anne-Marie Steenkamp. She was previously crowned Miss South Africa 2017 and is the second Miss Universe winner from South Africa, following Miss Universe 1978, Margaret Gardiner.
She received a bachelor’s degree in business management and is fluent in both English and Afrikaans.
In the final round Steve Harvey asked Nel-Peters, “What quality in yourself are you most proud of and how will you apply that quality to your time as Miss Universe?” She said:
“As Miss Universe you have to be confident in who you are as an individual. And Miss Universe is a woman that has overcome many fears and by that she is able to help other women to overcome their fears. She is a woman that nothing is ever too much to ask for and I think that is exactly who I am”.
When asked about what she thought was the most important issue regarding women in the workplace, she said:
“In some places, women get paid 75% of what men earn for doing the same job, working the same hours — and I do not believe that this is right. I think we should have equal work for equal pay for women all over the world”.
