Rolene Strauss (born 22 April 1992) is a South African beauty queen who was crowned Miss South Africa 2014, and in December the same year won Miss World 2014 in London. She is the second South African woman to win the Miss World pageant, but the third to hold the title.
Strauss was born in Volksrust, South Africa, the daughter of Theresa, a nurse, and Hennie Strauss, a doctor. In the year 2000, at 8 years of age, Rolene Strauss witnessed the crowning of Jo-Ann Strauss (unrelated) as Miss SA. She dreamed of winning the title herself, and she did so in March 2014.
Rolene is a medical student and is currently studying towards her degree at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, but is originally from Volksrust, Mpumalanga.
When Strauss was 15 years old, she competed in and won the national selection for the Elite Model Look International. She is the youngest winner nationally and beat 11 other contestants vying for the same title.
Strauss placed in the top 15 of the Elite Model Look International 2007 after competing with 55 contestants. That year, the winner was Belgian model Jennifer Messelier, followed by Dutch model Ymre Stiekema and Czech model Hana Jirickova. Notable contestants from the Elite Model Look include Cindy Crawford, Stephanie Seymour and Gisele Bündchen. None of these women won in the year they competed, but still attained critical and international success. Strauss placed in the top 5 of Miss South Africa 2011 when Melinda Bam became the new titleholder of Miss SA 2011.She returned two years later to compete in the 2013 Pageant and was crowned as Miss South Africa 2014 representing the Free State city of Bloemfontein on March 30, 2014 at a ceremony held at the Sun City Super Bowl, South Africa.
As the results of Miss South Africa 2014, Rolene has been expected to compete at Miss Universe 2014 and Miss World 2014. Traditionally the winner of the pageant competed at both of the pageants. In December, After Rolene Strauss was crowned Miss World 2014, she will not be able to compete at Miss Universe 2014. Ziphozakhe Zokufa, the 1st Runner-up of Miss South Africa 2014 replaces her as her representative for South Africa.
Rolene won the Miss World 2014 title on December 14, 2014. The pageant was held in the Excel Arena in London, UK. She is the third South African to hold the Miss World title and the second to win it outright. She is the first South African who crowned Miss World in 40 years and the first African woman who crowned Miss World in 13 years.