From winning Miss SA to walking the runway at NewYork Fashion Week, Zozibini Tunzi has had a cracker of a year.

We are still reeling from and celebrating her win as Miss Universe! Zozi, as she is affectionately known, spoke to us just before she jetted off to the US for the Miss Universe pageant.

Here's a glimpse into the woman behind the crown.

The person I most admire is …I have a list of incredible people I admire, but today I’m choosing Peggy-Sue Khumalo.

My greatest extravagance is …a Vera Wang blazer.

My favourite possession is …my crown.

My current state of mind is …happiness and excitement.

I tell a lie when …I’m scared of hurting someone’s feelings.

My best trait is … my resilience.

My worst trait is … that I’m forgetful and leave stuff everywhere.

What I most value in my friends… is their ability to find humour in everything, and I mean everything. It helps a lot when I’ve had a tough day.

My idea of perfect happiness is … enjoying a box of biscuits on a Christmas morning with my sisters while gossiping about everyone, including our mom.

The word I most overuse is …"amazing".

If I were to die and come back as a person or thing, it would be … Rihanna.

My greatest regret would be …to allow fear to cripple me and stop me from achieving my crazy, overly ambitious dreams.

My favourite South African highlight in 2019 … is the Springbok World Cup win under the first black captain, Siya Kolisi. I’ll never forget the look on children’s faces during the Boks’ national tour. You could just see hope in their faces. They knew it was possible for them, too.

People would be surprised to know that … I sing. I can actually really sing!