South Africa's Romanda Hombir made Top 6 at Miss World 2026 in Vietnam and was crowned Miss World Africa - the country's best finish since 2017.
Romanda Hombir represented South Africa at Miss World 2026 in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Picture: Instagram, @africanbeautyinternational
Romanda Hombir has delivered South Africa’s best Miss World result in over a decade, finishing in the Top 6 and being crowned Miss World Africa 2026 at the pageant’s 73rd edition in Nha Trang, Vietnam.
The 26-year-old clinical audiologist, model and philanthropist from the Mbombela area in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, saw off competition from across the continent to claim the regional title, marking South Africa’s strongest showing at the pageant since Adè van Heerden represented the country at Miss World 2017, where she advanced to the Top 10 and was crowned Miss World Africa.
A steady climb through the competition
Hombir’s run at Miss World 2026, held between roughly 9 August and the grand final on 5 September, built momentum from the earlier rounds. She won the Africa continental Head-to-Head Challenge, beating finalists from Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia and Eritrea, which secured her an automatic place in the Top 40.
During that stage, she spoke candidly about her own health struggles and the stigma surrounding women’s illness.
She went on to place among the Top 21 continental finalists in the Top Model Challenge before advancing through the Top 20 and Top 12 on final night to reach the Top 6.
The overall Miss World 2026 crown went to Joheirry Mola of the Dominican Republic, with Spain’s Elisabeth Reynés named 1st runner-up and Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty 2nd runner-up. Eritrea’s Snit Tewoldemedhin and Vietnam’s Bảo Ngọc Lê Nguyễn rounded out the Top 6 alongside Hombir.
A national costume with a message
Hombir’s national costume, designed by Hollywood Costumes SA, drew significant online chatter.
The bejewelled corset gown featured feathers, sequins and beads in South Africa’s flag colours, paired with a cape bearing a hand-painted portrait of Nelson Mandela and the words “Freedom, Equality, Unity, Respect, Hope, Love.”
The tribute to Madiba carried extra weight given that Hombir was crowned Miss World South Africa on Mandela Day. She performed the piece during the pageant’s “Dances of the World” showcase, which went viral internationally and sparked mixed reactions locally around the choreography.
With the continental win, Hombir becomes Miss World Africa, the organisation’s ambassador for the continent; a title last held by a South African in 2017.
From public health system to pageant stage
Away from pageantry, Hombir is a qualified clinical audiologist who has worked within South Africa’s public health system, including at Edenvale Hospital, where colleagues reportedly gave her a hero’s welcome after her national title win.
She has spoken about the country’s severe shortage of audiologists, which stats place at roughly one per 200 000 people, as well as the inequalities she has witnessed in access to care.
Hombir has also been open about living with endometriosis and PMOS (polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, formerly called PCOS) – conditions she has said nearly kept her from competing but ultimately strengthened her resolve. She has used her platform to advocate for greater awareness of endometriosis, PCOS, PMOS and fibroids, as well as improved healthcare access more broadly.
Beauty with a purpose
The pageant queen founded the Caring Purpose Foundation, a nonprofit that runs mobile health screenings, literacy support, nutrition programmes, and skills development for underserved communities, schools, and orphanages.
Per her own communication through the pageant, her organisation has assisted more than 770 people to date and forms the basis of her Beauty With a Purpose project. She has said she hopes to collaborate with bodies such as the United Nations on healthcare, education and nutrition access initiatives.
The road to Miss World South Africa
Hombir’s pageant journey began building well before this year’s Miss World. She was 2nd runner-up at Miss World South Africa 2024, representing Mpumalanga, and placed in the top 3 at Miss Supranational South Africa earlier in 2026 during the Miss African Beauty South Africa events.
She was crowned Miss World South Africa 2026 on 18 July – Mandela Day – at the Barnyard Theatre in Menlyn, Pretoria, under new licence holder Bokang Montjane-Tshabalala. Bajabulise Thela was crowned Miss Universe South Africa the same evening.
Following her national win, Hombir faced online scrutiny over her mixed heritage and surname, with some drawing comparisons to earlier debates about identity and representation in South African pageantry. She addressed the criticism directly, describing herself as “proudly South African,” born and raised in the country to South African parents.
Hombir is of Swati, Zulu and German heritage, with a Black Swati-Zulu mother and a Coloured father with German roots.
