It's all systems go for the Miss World beauty pageant taking place this Weekend at the Sandton Convention Centre. Some 112 beauty queens will battle it out to be crowned Miss World 2008.

Some of the beauties who will be lining up for the finals of the Miss World contest

AFTER a full month jam-packed with glitz and glamour, travels, discoveries, photo-shoots, couture designs, style and fashion, it is now time to crown the fairest of all the beauties in the world at the 58th Annual Miss World Beauty Pageant.

The contest takes place on Saturday, 13 December at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Pitted against each other and sashaying the catwalk to compete for the world crown will be 112 Miss World contestants who hail from across the globe. This is a record entry for Joburg as there has never been as many contestants entering the pageant.

The pageant will kick off at 5pm and will be beamed live to over 200 countries; with viewership estimated at around 2-billion. In South Africa it will be televised on SABC 3.

A panel of illustrious adjudicators has been commissioned to judge the contest; these include the former Miss South Africa and businesswoman, Basetsana Khumalo; the chairperson of African Fashion International, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe and the reigning Miss World, Zi Lin Zhang.

Although this prestigious event was initially scheduled for Kiev, in Ukraine, it was moved to South Africa in the face of political instability in Ukraine's neighbouring South Ossetia and Russia.

Tansey Coetsee will be flying the South African flag at the beauty pageant

The contest will enable Joburg to display its capability to host mega-events, ahead of the  2010 Fifa World Cup™ and the Confederations Cup next year, says Lindiwe Mahlangu, chief executive of the Johannesburg Tourism Company.

As another record first for the "Beauty with a purpose" pageant, all the 112 slender entrants will be garbed in strictly South African couture designs, accessories and jewellery made by some 30 local fashion designers and 20 crafters. Over 580 garments and accessories will be worn on the night.

Participating designers include African Mosaique, Clive Rundle, Palesa Mokubung, David Tlale, Marianne Fassler, Fred Eboka, Gavin Rajah, Machere Pooe, Julian, Thula Sindi and others among the cream of South Africa's fashion crop.

Through dressing the Miss World contestants, African designers would get exposure to a worldwide audience. This was an unparalleled coup for the local fashion industry.

Tickets for the 2008 Miss World "Beauty with a Purpose" pageant range in price from R740 through R970 to R1140 per person; corporate bookings will cost R1370. Tickets are available at Computicket; alternatively call 011 340 8000.

For more information on the pageant, email Justin@circa.co.za; alternatively call the Johannesburg Tourism Company 011 214 0700.