The newly crowned queen opens up about authenticity, quiet confidence and her
mission to expand access to meaningful education.
My first interaction with Qhawekazi Mazaleni, I quickly realise the title is only one part of her
story. Warm, thoughtful and refreshingly honest, the 2025 Miss South Africa winner carries her
name — which means a bold and brave woman — with a quiet kind of wit.
But she admits it wasn’t always that way.
“Growing up I didn’t really understand the meaning of my name,” she says. “It was always
mispronounced, and I felt like I had to fight for it to be said properly.” It was only years later,
while working as a speech therapist, that something shifted. “One parent said to me, ‘You carry
your name so well.’ That’s when I really started to internalise it.”
Today, she can confidently perceive herself as brave — but not in the loud, dramatic way
people might expect. For Qhawekazi, bravery looked like pressing submit on her Miss South
Africa entry form.
“Entering was such a brave step,” she reflects. “There’s so much vulnerability on a world stage.
But it was that moment of saying, ‘I trust myself. I trust my God-given abilities.’”
Interestingly, pageantry was never part of some long master plan. In fact, she laughs at the idea
of having a traditional “pageant life.”
Her first taste came by accident in high school when she was asked to join the school pageant
simply to boost numbers, since she was the head girl. Years later at varsity, her residence
pageant was more a comradery thing but a very fun experience — of skating down the ramp on
her skateboard and reading her own poem on stage.
“That was very me,” she says with a smile.
The real turning point in pageantry came when her sister, Homba Mazaleni, entered Miss South
Africa in 2023. Watching someone so close take that leap made achieving anything feel
realistic.
“I saw the personal growth she experienced,” Qhawekazi explains. “I thought, even if I don’t win,
there’s something to be learned. So let me go for it.”
Behind her calm presence is a childhood that quietly built her courage. Raised between
Gonubie in the Eastern Cape and her family roots in Dutywa, she credits both her parents for
shaping different parts of her character.
Her mother showed her what it means to show up fully as a woman — emotionally present,
hardworking and steady. Her father, on the other hand, taught through gentle wisdom.
“If he saw me struggling, he wouldn’t say it directly,” she recalls. “He would tell me a story about
something he went through and how he overcame it.”
But perhaps the biggest gift her parents gave her was permission to try — even when success
wasn’t guaranteed.
“My parents let me try anything, even if they saw maybe I wasn’t that good,” she laughs. “I was
always inventing things at home. One weekend I’d decide to build a treehouse… with what? I
didn’t know! The next it’ll be something else.”
That freedom to experiment — and sometimes fail — planted the seeds of the fearless young
woman we see today. It’s also what gave her the courage to self-publish her book long before
the Miss SA crown was in sight.
The Miss South Africa journey itself, she says, demanded deep introspection.
“It really makes you question your morals, your integrity, your purpose,” she explains. She
would often switch off her phone and journal, grounding herself in her core values. “It’s so easy
to lose yourself in something that has such high stakes. I needed a reference point of who
Qhawe is.”
If there is one thing this season of her life has confirmed, it is the power of simply being herself.
“I’m very nerdy,” she admits with a giggle. “The things I enjoy are very nerdy.” Just how nerdy?
She laughs before confessing: “While in school, I used to research mathematical puns… and
laugh alone.”
Her childhood dream wasn’t the crown — it was becoming a library monitor. When she finally
achieved deputy head librarian status in high school, it felt like a major win.
That deep love for literature, sparked by homework sessions alongside her older sister, still
drives her purpose today. As a speech therapist, she has seen firsthand how literacy can unlock
confidence in children.
“When a child understands what they’re doing, you see the shift,” she says. “They become more
willing to try and to fail.”
It is why she is so passionate about inclusive education and creating real, visible examples of
success for young girls — especially those growing up in rural areas like Dutywa.
“I wish there were more feasible examples of people who have been in their shoes and made it,”
she says thoughtfully. “Sometimes girls give up because they can’t see beyond what’s around
them.”
Off the stage, Qhawekazi is intentional about caring for both her outer and inner self. Her
skincare journey started with pink Ponds products and watching her older sister experiment with
fashion. Today, her routine is a mix of good sleep, running and small rituals that keep her
grounded.
At the heart of it all is journaling — a practice she has kept since Grade 11.
“It’s such an intimate way of checking in with myself,” she says. “Sometimes I just write, ‘I feel
tired today,’ and unpack from there.”
Her Christian faith also remains a steady anchor. “I realised it’s so much bigger than the rules,”
she explains. “It’s a relationship with God, yourself and the people around you.”
When asked what true confidence means in today’s social media-heavy world, her answer is
simple but powerful: “Confidence is honesty. Honesty with yourself and honesty with the people
around you.”
To stay grounded, she leans on what she jokingly calls her “audit board” — her mom, sisters
and close varsity friends who are quick to call her back to herself if she ever drifts.
“They’ll say, ‘I watched your video… you’re not coming across as yourself,’” she laughs. “And I
appreciate that.”
Despite the crowd, the packed schedule and the growing spotlight, joy for Qhawekazi remains
beautifully simple: time with loved ones, a good supper, early morning runs — and yes, her bed.
“I love my bed,” she says, laughing. She even shares that on the night she won Miss South
Africa, after the celebrations, she asked her family for one thing: a burger.
“I took a hot bath, got into bed, ate my burger and just slept. No alarms, nothing.”
As she looks ahead, the vision for her legacy is clear and deeply intentional.
“I want my name to be associated with humanitarian work,” she says firmly. “Especially making
sure children have access to meaningful education.”
But more than titles or accolades, Qhawekazi hopes her life sends one clear message to every
young girl watching her journey unfold: you don’t have to wait for perfect conditions to start.
“Start with what you have and where you are,” she says. “You don’t have to be Miss South
Africa to make a difference.”
And if her journey so far is anything to go by, Qhawekazi Mazaleni is only just getting started.
