Qhawekazi Mazaleni, the newly-crowned Miss South Africa (SA) 2025, cried tears of joy when she was announced as the winner at SunBet Arena at Times Square in Pretoria on Saturday.
The 24-year-old speech therapist from the Eastern Cape, who is also doing her master’s specialising in autism, waved to a cheering audience during the live finale.
As the crown was placed on her head by Miss South Africa 2024 Mia le Roux, whose reign was extended for two months as the organisers ushered in a new era, she was surrounded on stage by the first princess, Luyanda Zuma (23) from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as second princess, Karabo Mareka (27) from Alexandra in Johannesburg.
Mazaleni impressed the judging panel, which consisted of Miss South Africa 2018 Tamryn Nxumalo, Ndavi Nokeri who was the titleholder in 2022, actress Cindy Mahlangu, award-winning broadcast journalist Heidi Giokos and brand strategist Thebeetsile Ikalafeng, during her question and answer session.
As part of the top three, when asked which skill, mindset or opportunity she would use to empower the youth of South Africa, she responded: “The skill I would empower our youth with is to start with what you have.
Mazaleni added: “You won’t always have the opportunities handed over to you but when you have the tools and resources available to you, you can impact communities.”
In response to a question from Giokos about the challenges of migration, Mazaleni said: “By using the Miss SA platform, I would open honest and vulnerable discussions that champion responsible leadership, shared responsibility and allocating our resources.”
The beauty queen had this to say during her impact statement when she was part of the top nine earlier in the evening: “To break the cycle of unemployment, we must start by addressing its root causes.”
“When 81% of our Grade 4 pupils struggle to read for meaning, it shows us that our youth is left behind.”
“As your Miss SA, my heart’s intent is to ensure inclusive education.”
As the new Miss SA, Mazaleni will receive a prize package worth over R3 million. This includes a R1 million cash prize, a Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupé and a three-bedroom penthouse apartment for her year of reign.
Miss SA 2025 was hosted by television presenter and actress Nomalanga Shozi and South African media personality Pamela Mtanga. Miss SA 2023 Natasha Vermaak and Fezile Mkhize, who held the title of Mister Supranational in 2024, hosted the AFI red carpet.
Some of the event’s other highlights were the performances, with local music sensation Ciza getting the crowd on their feet when he performed his hit song ‘Isaka (6am)’. – IOL
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