Two Eastern Cape women are among the 20 finalists competing for the Miss African Beauty South Africa 2026 title — and a chance to represent the country at the 75th edition of the Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico.
Bongisisiwe Ndumela, 26, who hails from Sterkspruit, and Musa Daweti, 22, of Gqeberha, were among the finalists unveiled this week by the competition organisers.
The pageant serves as a pathway to some of the world’s biggest international competitions, including Miss World and Miss Universe.
Shannon Benting, a model and content creator from Northcliff, Johannesburg, is the winner of the Miss African Beauty Miss Supranational 2026 crown and will be SA’s official representative at the Miss Supranational pageant in Poland in July.
A Top 12 will be announced in July, with one contestant crowned Miss African Beauty South Africa 2026, earning the right to represent the country at Miss Universe in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November.
The finalists come from seven provinces and include women working in fields ranging from engineering and law to education, science, business and the arts.
Ndumela, an actress, visual artist and technical assistant who is studying drama therapy at the University of the Witwatersrand, said her upbringing and family experiences helped shape her outlook.
Having lost her mother at the age of four and her father at 10, she was raised by relatives and credits the women in her family for teaching her resilience.
“My culture and family — especially the women — have taught me to carry both pride and humility at the same time,” she said.
“Growing up, I learnt that strength isn’t always about being the loudest voice in the room.
“Sometimes it’s about presence — the kind of gravitas that commands respect without demanding attention.”
Ndumela said one of the causes closest to her heart was creating arts-based community therapy programmes to help young people deal with issues such as gender-based violence, anxiety, depression and substance abuse.
“The arts have a unique ability to bring people together, encourage self-expression and create opportunities for reflection and growth.”
Through her studies in drama therapy, she hopes to make arts-based healing programmes more accessible to young South Africans “to use creativity as a pathway to self-discovery and positive change”.
If given the opportunity to change one thing, Ndumela said she would strengthen laws relating to underage drinking and prioritise action against gender-based violence.
“Coming from the Eastern Cape, I have seen how deeply rooted and normalised alcohol abuse can be,” she said.
“We cannot afford to experience another tragedy like the Enyobeni Tavern incident, where 21 young lives were lost.”
Daweti, who holds a diploma in management and is studying towards an advanced diploma in financial management, said her campaign was centred on making education more accessible.
She said too many young South Africans continued to face barriers to higher education because of their financial circumstances.
“There are countless young people with dreams, potential and the willingness to work hard, but without the financial means to access the opportunities they deserve.”
Daweti said she wanted to advocate for students who were often overlooked.
“Education should open doors; not remind people of the doors they cannot enter.”
If she were president for a day, Daweti said her priority would be ensuring that the constitutional right to education became a practical reality.
“I would make education free and truly accessible for all, because no-one’s future should be determined by their financial background.”
Daweti said resilience and perseverance were her greatest strengths.
“When I set my heart on a goal, I commit fully to it and keep going no matter the challenges or setbacks.”
Both women said leadership was ultimately about service and creating opportunities for others.
Ndumela said strong leadership required “putting service before self”, while Daweti said modern leaders needed to be understanding, adaptable and able to inspire.
The Miss African Beauty South Africa competition is led by former Miss South Africa and Miss World Africa titleholder Bokang Montjane-Tshabalala.
Montjane-Tshabalala said the finalists represented a new generation of women using skills, education and platforms to drive positive change.
“When I look at these contestants, I see engineers, healers, storytellers, founders and fighters,” she said.
“I see women who didn’t wait to be given a platform — they built one.”
Daily Dispatch
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