A new discussion about identity is happening in South Africa after Romanda Hombir was crowned Miss World South Africa 2026.
Romanda, a 27-year-old clinical audiologist from Mpumalanga, received her crown at the Barnyard Theatre in Menlyn, Pretoria. She will represent South Africa at the 75th Miss World competition, which will take place from 9 August to 5 September in Vietnam.
After her win, some users on social media questioned her identity. They compared her case to the 2024 Chidimma Adetshina controversy that had many talking in the country’s beauty pageant circles.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Adetshina withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant because of questions about her nationality. She later went on to represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe 2024, finishing as first runner-up.
Unlike the Ms Adetshina situation, the Miss World South Africa organization and South African authorities have not raised concerns about Ms Hombir’s eligibility to compete.
Social media reactions
The results of the pageant have stirred up different opinions online, especially on X. Some users claimed Ms Hombir should not be the face of South Africa.
Others pointed fingers at the pageant organizers and the country’s Human Rights Commission. They alleged, without proof, that her win was meant to stir public anger and create more division.
Despite the backlash online, the organizers have not indicated that Ms Hombir did not meet the requirements for the competition.
Who is Romanda Hombir?
Apart from her pageant work, Ms Hombir is the founder of the Caring Purpose Foundation. This initiative promotes access to healthcare, literacy, nutrition, mobile health screenings, and skills development in communities that need it.
She also advocates for women’s health, focusing on issues like endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and uterine fibroids.
Her profile states that she is of Swati, Zulu, and German heritage. Her Beauty With a Purpose project aims to improve healthcare access and create educational and job opportunities for young people through community programs.
Ms Hombir has expressed her desire to influence global health policy through organizations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations.
Eligibility requirements
According to South Africa’s Citizenship Act, citizenship by birth applies to people born in the country if at least one parent is a South African citizen. Citizenship can also come through adoption by a South African citizen or permanent resident, depending on the law.
Miss World South Africa states that all contestants must meet its citizenship requirements to enter the competition.
According to the organization, applicants must be South African citizens aged between 17 and 27, have a valid passport, and must never have been married or had children. Contestants are also evaluated based on their commitment to the pageant’s main value of “Beauty With a Purpose.”
Here are some comments from social media:
I think minority groups and politicians forget Black South Africans make up about 81.4% to 82% of the country’s total population. Out of so many young girls who are beautiful and capable, our pageants do this? I wonder why?
, NtateBaloyi (@NtateBaloyi) [July 20, 2026]
It’s like they’re trying to force assimilation with some standard we didn’t agree to.
Who is this person now? She better be Mrs. … whatever it is. It’s not on.
, Mo Love (@MoLoveekcb) [July 20, 2026]
I won’t be surprised if a lot of people behind that beautiful penguin are foreigners. We need to start fresh; we can’t keep complaining every day.
, Enerst Madikane (@EMadikane6102) [July 20, 2026]
I know I won’t recognize all the surnames in South Africa, but who is Hombir??? 🤔
, Lyfe (@LyfeSuperstaR) [July 20, 2026]
Hombir?? No, she must return our crown 👑; clearly, she’s not South African 🙄
, Dlambili🇿🇦 (@masilela82) [July 20, 2026]
Easy solution: let’s have our own Ms South Africa beauty pageant with our rules. We can have Zulu, Tswana, Venda, Pedi, Afrikaner, etc., compete for Ms Zulu, Ms Venda, etc. So we can truly celebrate South African beauty and culture, not this nonsense.
, Code Zulu (@CodeZulu2) [July 20, 2026]
The surname Hombir is most often connected to South African multi-heritage descent (mixed Swati, Zulu, and German ancestry), made famous by Miss World South Africa 2026, Romanda Hombir.
, Tshepiso Lelaka (@tshepisolelakah) [July 20, 2026]
South African women are part of the reason we have this problem. pic.twitter.com/2yJdQOnLZi
, Where Are They Now (@Past_2Present) [July 20, 2026]
This is becoming ridiculous and sad. This statement sounds like ethnic cleansing and xenophobia! What does this even mean? “Unrecognized surname”! Perhaps the NCOP or @ParliamentofRSA should look into this and hold public hearings. It can’t just go on like this!
, tmfsa🤟🏾 (@tmfsa) [July 20, 2026]
They are clearly provoking us. Not sure why. But this was done on purpose to spark outrage.
, Zanele Ndlovu (@ZaneleNdloz9eq) [July 20, 2026]
This time they held their pageant in private because they knew something was wrong. Siya jwaelwa la.
, True Patriot 🇿🇦 (@Mphostyli) [July 20, 2026]
This seems to be done to create outrage for civil war.
, Political Sphere (@political_spher) [July 20, 2026]
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