South Africa’s first Miss Universe: Where is Margaret Gardiner now?

Margaret Gardiner was the first South African to be crowned Miss Universe, where is the iconic beauty queen now?

Former Miss SA Margaret Gardiner celebrated 46 years since she won the Miss Universe pageant… where is she now?

WHERE IS MARGARET GARDINER NOW?

Margaret Gardiner was crowned Miss Universe on 24 July 1978. This marked the first South African to be crowned Miss Universe in history. Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and Zozibini Tunzi followed in Margaret’s footsteps in 2017 and 2019 respectively.

This year South Africa’s first-ever differently-abled Miss SA, Mia le Roux will be representing the country at the Miss Universe pageant. She will be competing in the 73rd Miss Universe pageant taking place in Mexico City, Mexico. Reigning Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua will crown her successor at the end of the event.

Contestants from 127 countries are competing in the competition which will be hosted by US TV personality Mario Lopez. Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray will serve as one of the commentators along with Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza, Puerto Rican TV personality Carlos Adyan and Brazilian actress, model and former Miss Universe contestant Julia Gama.

So, where is Margaret now? Margaret is currently based in Los Angeles. She is a renowned writer, celebrity, and journalist. The beauty queen is a familiar face on the red carpets of prestigious events such as the Golden Globes, Oscars, and numerous movie premieres, where she interviews A-list Hollywood stars.

Margaret is set to return to South Africa in August this year. She will be attending the Miss SA 2024 finale on 10 August, set to be held at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria. She is also releasing a fictional novel Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar, which will debut in South Africa in March 2025, followed by releases in the USA and the UK.

SIX THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MARGARET GARDINER
Margaret was born in Cape Town, Western Cape.
The beauty queen is now around 64 years old.
She graduated with a BA in psychology from the College of Charleston.
The beauty queen is the author of two books and worked as a journalist in the entertainment industry, according to Briefly.
She now lives in Los Angeles and she is also a fashion editor at the Golden Globes.
Margaret is married to Andre Nel, a professor of paediatrics and public health at UCLA.