Hundreds of people gathered at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International yesterday to welcome the world's most beautiful women - all 120 of them.
They arrived ahead of the Miss World pageant at Gallagher Estate on December 12.
The City of Gold also hosted last year's pageant.
Current Miss World, Miss Russia Ksenia Sukhinova, and Miss South Africa, Tatum Keshwar, led the arrivals, who travel to East London tomorrow, return for a tour of Soweto and then head to Durban and Cape Town.
"They will be exploring the entire country and enjoying everything that South Africa has to offer, before beginning preparations for the main event," said Vista Kalipa of Total Exposure, the pageant's PR company.
Now in its 59th year, the Miss World pageant is the world's biggest annual television event, with more than a billion viewers worldwide..
Lindiwe Mahlangu, CEO of the Johannesburg Tourism Company, said Joburg was thrilled to be welcoming the Miss World contestants again.
"As a world-class city we are proud to be staging yet another world-class event in the form of Miss World 2009," she said.
On December 13, Sun City's Superbowl will host to the Miss South Africa pageant. - Sameer Naik
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