More than sequins: what sari queen pageants say about post-apartheid Indian identity

BEAUTY pageants across the world have long been underpinned by controversy, criticised for the disempowerment and objectification of women.

- DR ARADHANA RAMNUND MANSINGH

They are often dismissed as shallow, patriarchal relics where women are judged more on appearance than ability.

Yet, in the indentured Indian community of Durban, these events carried a different resonance.

Far from being mere spectacles of beauty, sari queen pageants became deeply tied to cultural preservation and visibility. They were a reminder of Indian heritage in a country where minority identities struggled for recognition.

Usually staged as part of larger Indian cultural shows, complete with dance, music and dramatic performances, the pageants were woven into community celebrations of identity.

For many young women, the crown was more than a symbol of appearance; it was an opportunity to serve, to represent their heritage and to contribute meaningfully as cultural ambassadors.

In this way, sari queen contests straddled the uneasy line between performance and empowerment, embodying both the glamour of pageantry and the resilience of a diasporic identity.

To understand sari queen pageants, one must appreciate Durban's Indian community itself.

Descended largely from indentured labourers brought to work on sugar cane plantations in the 19th century, South Africans of Indian origin have long navigated a liminal space.

Under apartheid, they were placed in a racial “middle” — not white enough for privilege, not black enough for solidarity.

This ambiguous identity produced insecurity, but also an urgency to preserve heritage in the face of political and cultural erasure.

The sari, in this context, became more than attire; it became a symbol of defiance and belonging.

Pageants were not only about crowning the most elegant contestant, but also about declaring the visibility of Indian culture in a society structured to make minorities invisible.

The sari queen became, paradoxically, both a beauty contestant and a cultural custodian.