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South Africa's Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters wins Miss Universe 2017

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/miss-universe/11/27/south-africas-demi-leigh-nel-peters.jpg"/><figcaption>South Africa&#x27;s Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters waves after being crowned Miss Universe during the 66th Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas. <em>Steve Marcus, Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>(UPDATED) </strong>South Africa&#x27;s Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters was crowned Miss Universe 2017 on Sunday, ending a nearly four-decade long drought for her country in one of the world&#x27;s biggest pageants.</p><p>Nel-Peters, a 22-year-old business management graduate, beat out 91 other candidates during the finals held in Las Vegas. South Africa last won Miss Universe in 1978.</p><p>Outgoing Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere crowned Nel-Peters with the $250,000 pearl-encrusted Mikimoto crown.</p><div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS/videos/10155754278665168/" data-width="auto"> </div><p>Nel-Peters helps train women in her country in self-defense, inspired by that one time when she was held at gunpoint and robbed after winning her title as Miss South Africa. </p><p>In one of the final questions during the pageant, she also advocated for closing the gender pay gap when asked about the biggest problem women today face in the workplace. </p><p>&quot;In some places, women get paid 75 percent of what men earn for doing the same job and working the same hours and I do not believe that that is right,&quot; she said. </p><p>Colombia&#x27;s Laura Gonzalez, an aspiring actress, placed first runner-up, and Jamaica&#x27;s Davina Bennett, a model with a marketing college degree, was second runner-up. </p><p>The Philippines&#x27; Rachel Peters finished in the Top 10.</p><p>American comic turned TV host Steve Harvey hosted the event for the third time, making several jokes at his own expense. </p><p>In 2015 he famously made a mistake heard round the world when he announced the wrong person as Miss Universe, resulting in an extremely uncomfortable, tense correction and a deluge of internet memes. </p><p>Grammy-winning singer Fergie and pop star Rachel Platten provided the musical entertainment for Sunday&#x27;s show.</p><p>In the &quot;Final Word&quot; portion of the competition, Nel-Peters said &quot;Miss Universe is a woman who has overcome many fears, and by that she is able to help many women overcome their fears.&quot;</p><p>&quot;She is a woman that nothing is ever too much to ask for,&quot; she said. &quot;And I think that is exactly who I am.&quot;<strong> -- with Agence France-Presse</strong></p>

<p>South Africa's Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters was crowned Miss Universe on Sunday, ending a nearly four-decade long drought for her country in one of the world's biggest pageants.</p>

South Africa's Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters was crowned Miss Universe on Sunday, ending a nearly four-decade long drought for her country in one of the world's biggest pageants.