Rosebank, Johannesburg – Southern Sun and Miss Earth South Africa have recommitted for another year to their partnership, as the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership Development programme celebrates its 20th Anniversary year. The announcement was made at a press conference held at Southern Sun’s luxury boutique hotel, 54 on Bath in Rosebank, Johannesburg, on the eve of Earth Day.

Catherine Constantinides, Executive Director of the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership Development Programme said, “We are celebrating 20 years of the Miss Earth South Africa this year, and we are delighted to renew our enduring partnership with Southern Sun, which has been the official home of the Miss Earth South Africa since 2013.”

With a focus on solution-oriented environmental education and awareness, the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership Development Programme works with young women tackling the micro and macro concerns within the climate change and environmental sustainability space, including food security, waste management and protection of our oceans, among others.

“By working with young women throughout the country, we are developing a generation of role models who take action on the ground and inspire lasting positive change in our communities. Environmental education and awareness are critical in combatting climate change and the legacy of the programme, which speaks for itself, is evident in the results of the many effective projects we have initiated over the last two decades,” she said.

Candy Tothill, head of corporate affairs, brands and marketing for Southern Sun, added, “Using natural resources responsibly and minimising waste is important to our long-term sustainability, and we make every effort to manage our hotels with due care to limit our impact on the environment. Awareness and education are important to the delivery of our environmental management objectives and our partnership with Miss Earth South Africa has proven to be an effective means of assisting with this.”

In celebration of their 20th Anniversary, this year’s Earth Day project will see Miss Earth South Africa plant 20 wild olive trees donated by Wildlands at Ormonde Primary School south of Johannesburg. Since 2003, Miss Earth South Africa has planted 53,218 trees in South Africa, and this number continues to grow.


The announcement was held on the eve of Earth Day, with Southern Sun’s 54 on Bath hotel being chosen to host it because 2023 marks seven years since the 54th tree was planted at the hotel as part of the partnership’s Africa Day project, which saw one tree planted for each of the 54 countries on the African continent. The 54th tree at 54 on Bath continues to flourish today.

To learn more about Southern Sun, visit the website at https://www.southernsun.com/. To learn more about Miss Earth South Africa’s leadership programme visit their website at https://www.missearthsa.co.za/.