Miss South Africa: Pageant power meets purpose

by Sbu Mkwanazi

Miss South Africa 2025, 24-year-old Qhawekazi Mazaleni, wore other people’s clothes as part of the pageant’s build-up phase. This isn’t exactly the image you imagine when it comes to beauty queens, but then again, the Eastern Cape native isn’t what society has come to define as a glamour icon.

“I was so concerned about the wardrobe for the month-long Miss SA training. Before we even got to the crowning, I felt that I had to present myself as a Miss South Africa. But my clothes didn’t seem to fit this image — they were basic,” Mazaleni recalls.

“It was beautiful that my community showed up for me. For the training period and various public engagements before the crowning, I went from house to house trying on my friends’ clothes. Even their moms brought out their most elegant evening wear for me. It was affirmation from my community that I don’t have to be a perfect Miss South Africa, and they reassured me that they’d support me with everything they have. It made me feel like I was good enough just the way I am,” she says.

Mazaleni is no stranger to humble beginnings. Her family couldn’t afford university tuition for her and her sister Homba at the same time. Mazaleni successfully applied for an Allan Gray Fellowship bursary, studying a degree in speech, language and hearing from Stellenbosch University. That’s why she plans to focus her efforts on using education to improve the lives of less fortunate South Africans.

“I’m intentionally going to use my reign to explore how I can meaningfully target unemployment among youth and children. I’ve often found that society looks at its symptoms rather than the systemic causes. One of the root causes is illiteracy, and my campaigns will centre around utilising education to increase literacy levels among South African youth,” notes Mazaleni, who’s currently pursuing a master’s degree in speech-language pathology at the University of Pretoria, specialising in autism.

Crown of thorns — beauty with a burden

Mazaleni is the 67th Miss South Africa to wear the crown, but she receives it with some thorns. Last year, there was a much-publicised scandal involving one of the contestants, Chidimma Adetshina, whose mother committed identity theft and fraud in the year Adetshina was born.

The situation worsened when various high-profile leaders from Miss South Africa resigned. Then this year’s pageant was postponed from May to October.

“Yes, here and there the ball was dropped, but no-one can expect any organisation to be perfect all the time,” says Mazaleni. “South Africans tend to sometimes focus on the negatives, but with Mia le Roux [the first hearing-impaired beauty queen in South Africa] taking the Miss South Africa crown last year, there was a huge win for the differently-abled community, as well as for the critical topic of inclusion. A lot of the time it’s people like me, speech therapists or occupational therapists, who speak on behalf of the differently abled. Le Roux’s win gave a voice to people who are often spoken for,” she says.

Under the new management of Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, who appointed former Miss South Africa winners Peggy Sue Khumalo and Basetsana Kumalo as co-chairs, Mazaleni is confident that the pageant is turning a corner and will soon once again gain its stature as one of the most respected pageants in the world.

“The most noticeable difference in the new way Miss SA is run with more focus on South Africa and less focus on international platforms. We’re concentrating on the positive changes we can make locally, specifically to uplift our youth. This is especially through an initiative called Empower Youth Africa, which is all about leadership, transformation and purpose. As Miss SA 2025 and the initiative’s first ambassador, it’s up to me to set the standard and direction of the pageant,” she says.

Brains, beauty and books — writing her own story

Besides being a well-liked personality on social media and being a bookworm, Mazaleni is also a published author who celebrates South Africa’s languages and heritage. She wrote a children’s book titled Amasele Amdaka in her home language of Xhosa, and on her TikTok page, Diaries of a Xhosa Girl, she taught herself to speak Pedi and Sotho to better connect with her young patients.

“This is a book that teaches children about basic colours and numeracy. It started when I was in my fourth year of practicals, giving speech therapy in Parow, in the Western Cape. There, the languages of choice are mainly English and Afrikaans. I met a young girl from a Xhosa background who had cerebral palsy,” she says.

“Our initial sessions were in English, but I quickly saw that there was a huge disconnect between the two of us. I used notes written on paper and designed on Canva to create a resource that proved to be very helpful. It was special to see her light up every time we met, as our sessions were in Xhosa and she loved the book. That’s when I learnt that language can unlock education for young kids!”

Sidebar 1

Five Moments That Changed Miss SA Forever

1. Zozibini Tunzi’s natural revolution (2019): When Tunzi walked onto the Miss Universe stage with her Afro and unshakeable confidence, the world blinked. Not only did she win, but she redefined beauty standards, proving that authenticity could be as dazzling as sequins and tiaras. Her victory sent a ripple through South Africa, inspiring a generation of young women to embrace their natural hair and their natural selves.

2. Lalela Mswane’s international triumph (2021): Mswane won Miss South Africa 2021 and was second runner-up at Miss Universe that year, and took the Miss Supranational title home in 2022. Her triumph highlighted how Miss South Africa had become more than a local pageant; it was a launchpad for international recognition, putting South African talent on the global map.

3. The first openly queer contestant: History was made after Sibabalwe Gcilitshana became the first openly queer person to participate in the Miss South Africa contest in 2019. She was described by MC and Miss South Africa host Bonang Matheba as the “very first queer woman” to take part in the event. Representation at Miss South Africa became a statement of inclusivity, courage and progress, showing that the crown can be worn by women of all identities.

4. From swimsuits to purpose-driven platforms: The competition evolved from merely celebrating aesthetics to championing impact. Modern contestants are judged on advocacy, entrepreneurship and social consciousness. This shift has turned the pageant into a force for change, a space where ambition, intelligence and heart matter as much as elegance.

5. Qhawekazi Mazaleni’s defining moment (2025): Now the baton passes to Mazaleni, whose win embodies the modern Miss South Africa ethos: grace under pressure, roots in heritage and a vision for transformation. Her victory speech was not just words; it was a manifesto for young South Africans watching, a reminder that the crown is not an ornament: it’s a platform.

Sidebar 2:

International Crowns Won by Year

• Penelope Coelen, Miss World 1958
• Anneline Kriel, Miss World 1974
• Margaret Gardiner, Miss Universe 1978
• Rolene Strauss, Miss World 2014
• Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, Miss Universe 2017
• Zozibini Tunzi, Miss Universe 2019
• Lalela Mswane, Miss Supranational 2022

For more information on Mazaleni, follow her on Instagram: QhawekaziMazaleni. She took home a R1m cash prize and an apartment located in Waterfall, which she’ll use for the duration of her reign.