Miss South Africa 2025, Qhawekazi Mazaleni, recently opened up about the people who influenced her journey to the crown, especially her older sister, Homba Mazaleni, who was part of the Miss South Africa 2023 Top 5.
In an interview with TRUELOVE, Qhawekazi credited the people in her life for shaping her into the impactful woman she is today. Her journey to the crown came shortly after Homba’s own success in the pageant, and Qhawekazi admits that watching her sister’s path inspired her.
“For my sister, she entered Miss South Africa in 2023, and I remember she went in and—she’s still—she’s a very purposeful woman. But just watching her journey, it was so beautiful to see how she turned all of these big goals into actionable steps, which is the kind of self-development that I wanted to see coming into this platform,” Qhawekazi shared.
She explained that her main goal stepping into Miss South Africa was personal growth. “Walking into Miss South Africa, I just thought to myself, the one thing I want is to take it as a step into self-development because no matter what my outcome is going to be, I wanted to come out a better person than I walked in.”
Qhawekazi’s passion for upliftment, encouragement, and inclusivity in education was the driving force behind her participation. She holds a degree in speech, language, and hearing therapy from Stellenbosch University and is currently completing a Master of Arts in speech-language pathology at the University of Pretoria, focusing on autism.
On stage, she explained her mission: “To break the cycle of unemployment, we have to start by addressing its root causes. When 81 percent of our Grade 4 learners struggle to read for meaning, it shows us how our youth is left behind far before they have a fighting chance. As your Miss South Africa, my heart’s intent is to ensure inclusive education.”
Qhawekazi has already started this mission by publishing a children’s book in isiXhosa, which she plans to translate into all South African languages. She has also partnered with a leading online book seller to give opportunities to multilingual illustrators, authors, and publishers. She plans to create literacy workshops for parents, caregivers, and teachers in underserved communities because, in her words, “transformation iqala (starts) at our foundations.”
She is committed to bridging gaps in education and says, “I would love to start with literacy workshops, specifically for parents, because they spend the most time with their children, and if you’re able to cultivate a love for reading and learning at home, you’re able to take that into school and into life. And then I’d also have to get the teachers and other educators involved as well.”
Qhawekazi Mazaleni is proving that Miss South Africa is not just a title—it’s a platform to inspire, educate, and transform communities.
