Former first runner-up Miss Namibia contestant Albertina Haimbala has returned to the competition after making the top 20 semi-finalists for the 2026 pageant.
Haimbala (26), a communications student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, previously competed in the 2023 pageant, where she finished as first runner-up.
She was later crowned Miss Earth Namibia and represented the country at the Miss Earth competition in Manila, Philippines, in 2024.
Her return was confirmed during the official Miss Namibia and Miss Teen Namibia Top 20 grand reveal in Windhoek on Saturday.
The event marked the formal start of the 2026 pageant season.
Speaking to The Namibian, Haimbala says her decision to compete again is closely tied to long-term ambitions in international pageantry.
“I am a pageant queen at heart with many dreams and goals within this industry,” she says.
“One of my greatest aspirations is to one day represent my beautiful country on the Miss Universe stage.”
She explains that the Miss Namibia platform remains central to her ambition because the organisation holds the franchise for the global contest.
“Fortunately or depending on perspective, the franchise falls under the Miss Namibia Organisation through the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), making the Miss Namibia platform an essential part of that journey,” Haimbala says.
Reflecting on her decision to return, she says the competition provides an opportunity to expand the reach of her advocacy work and leadership.
“I have chosen to return because I believe deeply in the power of this organisation to amplify my leadership and purpose.
Some of the women I admire most have worn the Miss Namibia crown, and their journeys have shown me just how transformative this platform can be,” Haimbala shares.
She describes the pageant as a platform that gives contestants greater visibility for the causes they represent.
“I often describe the Miss Namibia competition as a ‘microphone competition’. Every woman already carries a message of hope, purpose, and impact within her.
But when she earns the title, she is handed a microphone, her voice now reaches the entire nation,” she says.
She adds that the platform creates opportunities that might otherwise be difficult to access.
“It opens doors and gives your voice a reach.
It gives your purpose scale. That is why I am back,” she says.
Her long-term goal remains to soar the nation’s flag on international stages.
“Right now, my biggest goal is to represent Namibia at Miss Universe and make my country proud,” she says, adding that she believes Namibia can again win the global crown first achieved by Michelle McLean in 1992.
Saturday’s reveal event brought together government officials and pageant stakeholders to introduce the semi-finalists.
Khomas governor Sam Nujoma says the pageant has evolved beyond traditional beauty competitions.
“Platforms such as Miss Namibia and Miss Teen Namibia are more than pageants, they are platforms of empowerment, leadership, advocacy, and national pride,” Nujoma says.
Meanwhile, NBC spokesperson and pageant national director Beaulah Boois-Beukes encourages contestants to embrace the journey ahead.
“Wearing these sashes represents the diversity, intelligence and potential of Namibia,” she says, adding that the process will prepare contestants “for leadership, advocacy and meaningful impact within their communities.”
The semi-finalists will now enter a programme of mentorship, training and community initiatives ahead of the national finals later this year.
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