Cell C has reportedly pulled back its sponsorship of the Miss South Africa pageant as the mobile networking giant is looking forward to new opportunities that are in line with its strategic focus as a business. Cell C has been one of the major sponsors of the beauty pageant for the last five years.
In an interview with MyBroadband, Cell C said it is exceptionally proud of its sponsorship of Miss South Africa, which was done in partnership with Sun International.
“During the past 5 years of our involvement, Miss South Africa has turned out an incredible calibre of winners, including the crowning of two international title winners,” the mobile operator said.
It added that Miss South Africa has become a force to be reckoned with and also contributes to national pride.
“It continues to be a platform for young women to realise their dreams and be positive role models for millions of South Africans,” Cell C said.
The company said the decision to withdraw as sponsor was taken after a review of the company’s various sponsorship properties.
“Cell C as a brand has evolved and we are looking at new opportunities that are in line with our strategic focus as a business,” it said.
But this year there has not yet been any mention of entries. When somebody inquired about this year’s competition on the Miss South Africa Facebook page, the organizers replied 2019 entries have not yet been opened and any developments on the competition will be shared on social media.
It remains unclear if Cell C’s withdrawal is the reason for the delay. It also remains to be seen if the withdrawal will affect the pageant’s other major sponsor, Sun International.
In related news, Cell C has teamed with Facebook to roll out public-access Wi-Fi hotspots in South Africa, and has taken the first few live at the University of the Western Cape, supported by the Facebook Express Wi-Fi platform.
