March proved to be a month of crowning queens across Southern Africa, as beauty pageants in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana celebrated new titleholders. More than just glitz and glamour, these pageants highlighted the impactful roles the newly crowned queens will play in their communities.

On March 18, Malibongwe Mkhwanazi was crowned Miss Mpumalanga 2025 in a prestigious ceremony held in Mbombela under the theme “15 Years of Changing the Life of a Girl Child.” As part of her victory, she was awarded a bursary from the Office of the Mpumalanga Premier, reinforcing the competition’s commitment to education and empowerment.

March 22 marked a historic moment as Miss Supranational Zimbabwe was hosted for the first time in Polokwane, South Africa. Zimbabwean model Pauline Marere took home the crown, adding another prestigious title to her growing list of achievements.

Marere is no stranger to the pageant world, having previously reached the Top 5 at Miss World Zimbabwe, secured Top 7 at Miss Universe Zimbabwe, and placed as 2nd runner-up at Miss Environment. Her dedication to the industry has also earned her features in several fashion magazines and tabloids across Africa.

As Miss Supranational Zimbabwe 2025, Marere will represent Zimbabwe on the international stage at Miss Supranational 2025 in Poland.

At the same event at Molapo Hotel, South Africa crowned Pale Legoabe as Miss Cosmo South Africa 2025, adding another significant title to the weekend’s celebrations.

Meanwhile, Botswana also crowned its new queen on March 22. Ruth Thomas was officially named Miss Botswana 2025 and will now represent the country at the 73rd Miss World pageant next year.

To cap off a month of pageantry highlights, former Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi made headlines on Sunday morning as news broke of her wedding. Tunzi, known for her elegance and grace, said “I do” in a breathtaking Cape Town ceremony, marrying her partner Luthando Mluleki.

With these new queens ready to take on their global and local roles, March will be remembered as a defining moment for pageantry in Southern Africa.