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From finishing as Miss SA first runner-up and Miss Supranational SA 2023 to being crowned Miss Cosmo South Africa 2026, Ayanda Thabethe has continuously redefined versatility.
The 26-year-old beauty queen, media personality, TV presenter and entrepreneur was officially crowned on Thursday.
She is set to represent South Africa on the international stage at the Miss Cosmo pageant in Vietnam, running from December 2026 to January 2027.
Speaking to TimesLIVE after her win, Thabethe expressed her readiness to embrace the weight of the title.
“It feels incredibly special, but more than anything, it feels like a responsibility I am ready to embrace,” Thabethe said.
This is not Thabethe’s first time under the pageant spotlight. She previously became the first runner-up and People’s Choice Award winner at Miss SA 2022. She later represented the country as Miss Supranational SA 2023, placing in the Top 24 and taking home the Miss Congeniality title.
According to Thabethe, her return to pageantry was intentional. The time away allowed her to evolve as a television presenter, content creator and media personality, experiences she said shaped her into the woman she is today.
“That growth changed the woman who eventually came back to this space. So when the opportunity to become Miss Cosmo South Africa presented itself, I wasn’t coming back to prove that I could be a beauty queen. I was coming back knowing exactly who I was and what I could bring to the role.”
She noted that Miss Cosmo particularly resonated with her because it aligns with a modern concept of beauty, one that includes intelligence, influence, purpose and impact. She emphasised that being entrusted to wear the South African sash again is an emotional milestone for her.
“I am excited for the journey ahead, but I am also very conscious that this crown represents more than me. It represents the young women watching, the people who believe in me, and the country I am privileged to represent.”
Entering the Miss Cosmo pageant, Thabethe carries the wisdom and lessons she learnt through her past victories and defeats. She said she is approaching this chapter not to prove herself, but to lead from a place of authenticity and purpose.
“I am not simply going to Vietnam to compete; I am going there to represent a country, a culture, and a generation of African women who deserve to be seen globally. I want the world to see a woman who is proudly African, but also confident, contemporary and globally minded. I want to leave Vietnam knowing that I represented South Africa in a way that made people proud.”
Thabethe credits her grounded nature to her upbringing. Having lived across diverse communities in South Africa, she possesses a rich perspective on what it means to be South African. Growing up with her parents and brother, her family initially lived in townships surrounded by extended family, later moving to the suburbs for schooling, and eventually settling in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
That strong family bond provided her with a firm foundation of confidence.
“Interestingly, pageantry was actually planted in my mind quite early. My family used to call me ‘Miss SA’ growing up,” she recounted. “I always knew that one day I wanted to enter Miss South Africa; it was never really a question of if, but when.
“So, when I eventually did enter, it felt almost like a childhood dream coming full circle. And now, being able to represent South Africa on another international stage feels like an extension of that little girl’s dream — except now I have the life experience, perspective and purpose to fully understand the responsibility that comes with it.”
Driven by a passion to address period poverty, she launched Sustain Her, a community-driven initiative in partnership with Love Our City, the University of Johannesburg and Crown Confidence. The organisation collects donated clothing and repurposes the fabric into reusable sanitary pads for young girls in underprivileged communities.
As she prepares for the global stage, Thabethe summarised her mindset for the international stage as purposeful, present and fearless.
She expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Miss Cosmo South Africa organisation, her sponsors, and the supporters who have stood by her throughout her pageantry journey.
“Thank you for believing in me. I have had a journey in this industry that has included incredible highs, difficult lessons and moments that challenged how I saw myself. To be given another opportunity to represent South Africa feels incredibly meaningful and I intend to honour it.”
Correction: August 18 2026
An earlier version published on TimeLIVE said Thabethe was completing her degree in Dietetics and Human Nutrition at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the institution denied this claim by Thabethe, saying she is not a registered student at the university. That claim made by Thabethe has since been removed; we regret the error.
TimesLIVE
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