During the 70th edition of Miss World, Africa had six representatives from Guinea, Somalia, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Botswana.

Miss Ivory Coast, Olivia Yace was crowned as the second runner-up to the prestigious Miss World 2021. The 24 year-old won along side the Miss Poland Karolina Bielawska who was crowned as the Miss World 2021 and Miss USA Sharee Saini who came as 1st runner-up.

Olivia Yace has a Degree in Marketing and Management and would like to continue her studies with a Masters Degree. She enjoys singing, dancing and travelling. Mama Mia is her favourite film and her favourite song is: ‘This Little Light of Mine.’ If Olivia could invite someone for dinner it would be Michelle Obama as she admires her as a role model. 
Her personal motto is  ‘Know who you are to know where you are going.”

During the #MissWorld2021 Question and Answer portion, Miss Cote d’Ivoire Olivia Yace was asked: “What have we learned from the COVID pandemic?” to which she answered,
” Good evening, I have learned from the Covid pandemic that we can always try harder to be better, to improve life. During the Covid pandemic, I think we all went through a lot but the most important was try to push through and to always try to find a solution because I believe that in life, its not about falling but its about every time you fall to be able to get back up.”

Olivia Yace’s national costume at the Miss World pageant was a unique ensemble of a dress accessorised with cowries, complete with a statement kente print and cowries embossed head piece, which she said “tells the story of the Akan woman of Cote d’Ivoire.”
The Costume
In a post on her Instagram page, the Ivorian model and beauty queen explained the symbolism of her national costume.

“This traditional outfit tells the story of the AKAN woman of Cote d’Ivoire. It represents the beauty, femininity, and braveness embodied by the woman of this ethnic group. This costume, which was totally handmade and carefully crafted with AKAN woven loincloth, celebrates the woman as a child-bearer and a life-giver,” she wrote.

“The cowrie shells that make up the centre piece come from the ocean and symbolize creation, life, and protection. They are interlaced and run all along the body to portray the beautiful waves and waterfalls of Cote d’Ivoire. The headdress represents a calabash full of water that the AKAN woman carries on her head as she returns from the river. It is a source of life, and it symbolizes hard work. The orange stripe of the Ivorian orange-white-green flag expresses the splendour of national blossoming,” Olivia Yace added.

Before the Miss World finals, Olivia participated in the Miss World Top Model 2021 competition hosted by The Miss World organization where the stunning contestants showcased their best catwalks while wearing both national dress and designs made from local designers.
At the end of the event, Cote d’Ivoire’s Olivia Yace was announced as the winner, while Audrey Monkam of Cameroon and Aryam Diaz of Puerto Rico were placed second and third respectively.
Congratulations

Photo credit: Miss World