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Jo-Ann Strauss | |
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| Born | Jo-Ann Cindy Strauss (1981-02-03)3 February 1981 (age 44) Cape Town, South Africa |
| Occupation(s) | Media personality, model |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Title | Miss South Africa 2000 |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Major competition(s) |
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| Website | www |
Jo-Ann Cindy Strauss (born 3 February 1981 inCape Town) is a South African model, public speaker, businesswoman and beauty pageant titleholder. In 2001 she represented her country asMiss South Africa at theMiss Universe pageant inPuerto Rico as well as at theMiss World pageant hosted atSun City in her home country in 2001.[1] She was featured in the 2001 music video of the Irish pop groupWestlife's single "When You're Looking Like That".
Strauss obtained her bachelor's degree at theStellenbosch University. During her reigning year as Miss South Africa, she started her media career with theAfrikaans TV magazine programmePasella before anchoring the English lifestyle magazine showTop Billing (TV show), for which she has interviewed the likes ofCharlize Theron,Antonio Banderas andGeorge Clooney. She featured ascover girl for many South African magazines.[2]
A year after Strauss was crowned Miss South Africa, she took part in the first and only celebrity version ofCelebrity Big Brother (South African TV series), where she finished runner-up.
In 2010, Jo-Ann presented the opening ceremony for the2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa for theGerman television networkZDF along withThomas Gottschalk in a live broadcast fromJohannesburg on 10 June.[3]
In 2008, Strauss spearheaded the Princess Project[4] to give deserving young ladies the chance to go to their "Matric Balls" or "Proms" in designer dresses previously owned by South Africa's top celebrities. The idea behind her initiative was born of the fact that she herself went to her Matric Dance in a "previously-loved" designer dress which she bought with her mother at a second-hand store.
Strauss is one of South Africa's most respected media personalities and uses her profile and influence to help various initiatives. Her Princess Project has been supported by many South African and now international stars and has given dresses to over 80 young ladies thus far with the help of SA's top magazines YOU, Huisgenoot and Drum as well asTop Billing.
She partnered with the International Fashion Sale in 2010 and reached even more deserving young ladies in SA.[5] Similar initiatives exist around the world, enabling young girls to feel like modern princesses.
In 2014, Strauss was appointed a Celebrity Advocate for international child rights organization, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in South Africa.
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