Beit Bridge-born model Vanessa Mbedzi (22) has been selected to represent Zimbabwe at the Miss Africa USA finals. The contest will be held in Silver Springs, Maryland, on 29 June.

The Miss Africa USA contest brings together young African women to represent their countries, share their culture and celebrate the power of the African woman. Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes, is also expected to attend the occasion, among other notable guests.

Mbedzi, the reigning Miss Zimbabwe USA 2012, is a business student at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. She is expected to take to the ramp along 23 other contestants from across Africa who are based in the United States. She outclassed seven other contestants in last year’s contest.

“I will raise the Zimbabwean flag high and I am proud to be representing this beautiful nation at such a forum.” She added that she was inspired to take up modelling by her parents, the late businessman Mr Dambanyika Mbedzi and Mavis Mbedzi. Vanessa is the first-born in a family of four children, comprising three girls and a boy.

She mentioned that she has a positive attitude, high self-esteem and confidence to perform in front of big crowds. “I believe that is a vital element in order to impress the judges,” she added.