The universe and Africa wait with bated breath.
Zimbabwe, too, waits anxiously in the countdown to the 73rd Miss Universe pageant in Mexico.
In five days, a new queen will be crowned.
The pageant takes place at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City on November 16, while Central Africa will watch the live show on November 17 at 4am where Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua will crown her successor at the end of the event.
The glitz and glamour ceremony will be hosted by United States television personality Mario Lopez, with Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray serving as one of the commentators.
Gray will be joined by Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza, Puerto Rican TV personality Carlos Adyan and Brazilian actor, model and former Miss Universe contestant Julia Gama.
The icing on the cake is Margaret Gardiner, the first South African to win the Miss Universe title in 1978, who will be part of the selection committee.
"Hips don't lie" hit-maker, Shakira, will share the stage with hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas, which has been confirmed as the opening act of the night.
Zimbabwe is being represented by Sakhile Dube.
For now, it is about pain, anxiety, joy, confidence, laughter, tears and drama among the 130 women from around the world in the boot camp as rehearsals for the finale have begun.
According to the Miss Universe pageant organisers, candidates will compete in events such as personal statements, interviews, evening gowns and swimwear.
The number of contestants will be whittled down to 30, then 12, and finally five for the question-and-answer round.
All eyes are on Sakhile, who is the fans' favourite.
Will she restore the glory of the local modelling industry by bringing the crown home?
Upon arrival in boot camp, 13 days ago, Sakhile turned heads, not only from fellow contestants, but the world over as she gained love, likes and support.
Social media was agog with fans praising and showing her love.
What she mastered was her posture, hairstyles and engaging top designers.
From day one, she is being rated among the top contenders.
The 28-year-old model is not new on the international scene.
In 2023, she won Miss Supranational Africa, Supranational Top Model and locally was voted Miss Earth Zimbabwe (2022) and was Miss Tourism Zimbabwe.
Definitely, she is poised to make her mark on the stage.
Sakhile is still standing out in boot camp based on what she is presenting and according to various international modelling social media pages, she is being regarded as, "Africa's front- runner".
She was trained in Italy for her walk and back home had speech therapy from some of the renowned lifestyle gurus.
Some modelling critics have said that Sakhile, will win the pageant, if not, she will make it into the top three.
Again at the same pageant, "Miss Universe Africa," will be crowned and this is also a tight competition as countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Democratic of Congo and Mauritius among others are fighting for that crown.
Bear in mind, it will be a first if the national costume does not turn heads.
Mandizera is known to have assisted models from various pageants to be in the top run with his stunning designs.
What will Sakhile wear at the finale? Besides that, Sakhile still needs Zimbabweans to vote for her to make it into the top 30 and has urged everyone to continue voting.
On another note, Miss Universe pageant is also full of surprises, but with so far what has been displayed, Sakhile stands a chance to bring the crown home.
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Meanwhile, Miss Universe Zimbabwe officials and organisers leave for Mexico today to support Sakhile, ahead of the preliminary and finale show this weekend.
In an interview with Miss Universe Zimbabwe national director, Tendai Hunda, said she was confident Sakhile would make history.
"We are very confident of Sakhile and we have prepared her very well. This time around Zimbabwe will be on global map and we still encourage fans to continue voting for her," she said.
Hunda, a former beauty queen, also thanked various stakeholders and Miss Universe Zimbabwe board for making Sakhile dream come true.
"What we need more is the Zimbabwean support not only because of Sakhile but generally for the industry to grow.
"Look at how countries such as Nigeria and South Africa, how they have taken modelling as a serious profession. This is what we want."
