South Africa’s Romanda Hombir has another reason to celebrate! The 27-year-old has been crowned Miss World Africa 2026 after making it to the Top 6 at the 73rd Miss World grand finale in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on Saturday, 5 September 2026. The global crown ultimately went to Joheirry Mola of the Dominican Republic.
Hombir’s journey to the Top 6 was quite the run. The clinical audiologist and community health advocate from Mpumalanga secured her place in the initial Top 40 after winning the African continental Head-to-Head Challenge earlier in the festival. From there, she kept advancing, moving through the Top 20 and Top 12 before earning her spot among the final six.
And that finish comes with a little extra history for South Africa. Hombir recorded the country’s highest placement at Miss World since 2014, adding another milestone to an already memorable pageant journey.
Beyond the competition, Hombir also used the Miss World 2026 platform to spotlight a cause close to her heart. Her Beauty with a Purpose project, operated through the Caring Purpose Foundation, focuses on providing mobile health screenings and raising awareness about women’s healthcare in underserved communities.
But Hombir wasn’t the only African delegate making history in Vietnam.
Eritrea’s Snit Habteab Tewoldemedhin also reached the Top 6, marking the country’s debut appearance at Miss World. The 27-year-old neuroscience graduate and educator earned her place on the final leaderboard after winning the global fan vote with more than 13 million votes.
Tewoldemedhin’s advocacy project, Designing for Diversity, focuses on creating more inclusive educational environments for children with disabilities, bringing another important cause to the Miss World 2026 stage.
And then there was Nigeria’s Tamunosoye Karibi-George, who also gave us plenty to cheer about. After winning Miss World Africa Top Model, Karibi-George advanced through the competition to finish in the Top 12.
With Hombir taking the Miss World Africa 2026 title, Tewoldemedhin making history for Eritrea and Karibi-George reaching the Top 12, the African continent certainly had plenty to celebrate at the Miss World 2026 finale in Vietnam.
