{"id":43561,"date":"2026-10-22T11:09:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T09:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=43561"},"modified":"2026-10-22T11:09:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T09:09:16","slug":"miss-south-africa-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/miss-south-africa-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Miss South Africa 2026: Finale Date, New Venue, Top 19 Finalists And Everything You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The countdown to Miss South Africa 2026 is on. The 68th Miss South Africa pageant will crown its new queen on <strong>Saturday, 14 November 2026<\/strong>, at a new venue, the <strong>Sandton Convention Centre<\/strong> in Johannesburg.<\/p><div id=\"gaute-1441110731\" class=\"gaute-after-paragraph-1 gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nineteen women are in the running, and 11 of them are from Gauteng. Reigning Miss South Africa Qhawekazi Mazaleni will crown her successor at the finale, which is titled \u201cThe Mandate\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Miss South Africa 2026 At A Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Finale date:<\/strong> Saturday, 14 November 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Venue:<\/strong> Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Finale title:<\/strong> \u201cThe Mandate\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Finalists:<\/strong> Top 19<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reigning queen:<\/strong> Qhawekazi Mazaleni, Miss South Africa 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tickets:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.ticketpro.co.za\/event\/miss-south-africa-2026-finale-kmyk9i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Ticketpro<\/a>, from R450<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Red carpet hosts:<\/strong> Kuhle Adams and Kat Sinivasan, with the red carpet streamed live on S3<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A New Home: The Move To Sandton<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For several years, the Miss South Africa finale was held at Pretoria\u2019s SunBet Arena, Time Square, where Mazaleni was crowned in October 2025. This year, the pageant moves to the Sandton Convention Centre, where the 19 finalists will compete for the crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>ALSO READ:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/miss-south-africa-2025-postponed-pageant\/\">Miss South Africa 2025 Postponed: What We Know<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meet The  Top 19<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Top 19 were announced on 19 August 2026 by actress and media personality Minnie Dlamini. They were chosen from an initial Top 24 through judging. <strong>Sanelisiwe Diko<\/strong> won her place through the public vote and was named Fan Favourite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Finalist<\/th><th>Province<\/th><th>Hometown<\/th><th>Age*<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Alia Khan Koumantarakis<\/td><td>KwaZulu-Natal<\/td><td>Durban<\/td><td>21<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Amogelang Bunu<\/td><td>Gauteng<\/td><td>Mabopane<\/td><td>27<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bonolo Marang Motau<\/td><td>Gauteng<\/td><td>Johannesburg<\/td><td>27<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cwenga Koyana Kotu-Rammopo<\/td><td>Gauteng<\/td><td>Not listed<\/td><td>27<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ipeleng Pearl Madiba<\/td><td>North West<\/td><td>Rustenburg<\/td><td>23<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Katlego Malebye<\/td><td>Gauteng<\/td><td>Pretoria<\/td><td>31<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Kaylan Matthews<\/td><td>Eastern Cape<\/td><td>Gqeberha<\/td><td>30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Kendra Norah Horne<\/td><td>Western Cape<\/td><td>Hermanus<\/td><td>29<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Lesego Khumo Nyathela<\/td><td>Gauteng<\/td><td>Springs<\/td><td>30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Makhosazana Azana Masango<\/td><td>KwaZulu-Natal<\/td><td>Ndwedwe<\/td><td>25<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Modiegi Mashamaite<\/td><td>Gauteng<\/td><td>Springs<\/td><td>27<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ndiwanga Muravha<\/td><td>Mpumalanga<\/td><td>Mbombela<\/td><td>22<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Palesa van Rooyen<\/td><td>Free State<\/td><td>Hobhouse<\/td><td>30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sanelisiwe Diko (Fan Favourite)<\/td><td>Eastern Cape<\/td><td>Not listed<\/td><td>26<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Simon\u00e9 Nonhlanhla Tshituka<\/td><td>Gauteng<\/td><td>Johannesburg<\/td><td>26<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sunshine Dlangamandla<\/td><td>Gauteng<\/td><td>Springs<\/td><td>29<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tebogo Palesa Molatlhegi<\/td><td>Gauteng<\/td><td>Not listed<\/td><td>29<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tiyani Makamu<\/td><td>Gauteng<\/td><td>Bronkhorstspruit<\/td><td>27<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Zoalize Jansen van Rensburg<\/td><td>Gauteng<\/td><td>Pretoria<\/td><td>20<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Ages as listed when the Top 24 was announced in June 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Strong Gauteng Contingent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gauteng dominates this year\u2019s Top 19. Eleven finalists come from the province, from Mabopane and Pretoria to Springs, Bronkhorstspruit and Johannesburg. Springs alone has three finalists. The rest come from KwaZulu-Natal (2), the Eastern Cape (2), the Western Cape, North West, Mpumalanga and the Free State (one each).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-4162003790\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finalists To Watch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Makhosazana \u201cAzana\u201d Masango:<\/strong> better known as the singer Azana, of <em>BoGogo<\/em> fame, she\u2019s a 25-year-old musician and law student from KwaZulu-Natal. She advocates for better access to education in rural and township schools.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sanelisiwe Diko:<\/strong> the Eastern Cape finalist won her place in the Top 19 through the public vote, earning the Fan Favourite title.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The finalists\u2019 backgrounds include healthcare, architecture, entrepreneurship, journalism, education and the creative industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Miss South Africa\u2019s \u201cEra Of Leadership\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pageant now focuses strongly on leadership and social impact. The Top 19 are developing their own community initiatives through <strong>Empower Youth Africa<\/strong>, the youth empowerment platform linked to the Miss South Africa Organisation. The organisation is owned by the Motsepe Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMiss South Africa has entered an era of leadership, focused on creating meaningful impact at scale,\u201d said Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, patron and chairperson of the Miss South Africa Organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Reigning Queen: Qhawekazi Mazaleni<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Qhawekazi Mazaleni, a speech therapist from Gonubie in East London, was crowned Miss South Africa 2025 at the SunBet Arena in October 2025. She\u2019s studying for a master\u2019s in speech-language pathology, with a focus on autism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During her reign, she has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>led a literacy initiative at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>launched the Amasele Amdaka initiative in all 11 official languages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>taken part in Women\u2019s Day events and community campaigns, including a gender-responsive budgeting campaign at a Mamelodi Sundowns match at Loftus Versfeld.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How To Attend Or Watch The Miss South Africa 2026 Finale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tickets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tickets are on sale through <strong>Ticketpro<\/strong>, starting from <strong>R450<\/strong>. Gold tickets cost <strong>R600<\/strong>. A <strong>VVIP Hospitality Package<\/strong> costs <strong>R2 000<\/strong> per person and includes front-of-stage seating, parking, canap\u00e9s on arrival and two glasses of wine. VVIP seats are limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Red Carpet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Kuhle Adams<\/strong> and <strong>Kat Sinivasan<\/strong> will host the red carpet, which will be streamed live on <strong>S3<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-4162003790\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When Is The Miss SA 2026 Finale?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Miss South Africa 2026 finale takes place on Saturday, 14 November 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where Is Miss South Africa 2026 Being Held?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The finale is at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. It was previously held at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Many Finalists Are In Miss South Africa 2026?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are 19 finalists in the Top 19, chosen from an initial Top 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Is The Current Miss South Africa?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Qhawekazi Mazaleni, a speech therapist from the Eastern Cape, is Miss South Africa 2025. She will crown her successor on 14 November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is Azana In Miss South Africa 2026?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Singer Azana, whose full name is Makhosazana Azana Masango, is one of the Top 19 finalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Much Are Miss South Africa 2026 Tickets?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tickets start from R450 on Ticketpro. A VVIP Hospitality Package costs R2 000 per person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Watching From Home<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The official Miss South Africa website has a \u201cWatch Now\u201d streaming section under \u201cThe Mandate\u201d. TV broadcast details for the finale haven\u2019t been confirmed yet, so check Miss South Africa\u2019s official channels closer to the date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The countdown to Miss South Africa 2026 is on. The 68th Miss South Africa pageant will crown its new queen on Saturday, 14 November 2026, at a new venue, the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Nineteen women are in the running, and 11 of them are from Gauteng. Reigning Miss South Africa Qhawekazi Mazaleni will<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":43562,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"Miss South Africa","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"Miss South Africa 2026 crowns its new queen on 14 November at the Sandton Convention Centre. Meet the Top 19, including 11 Gauteng finalists, and get ticket info.","footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[1706],"tags":[2836,11466],"ppma_author":[11567],"class_list":["post-43561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-celebrity-news","tag-events"],"authors":[{"term_id":11567,"user_id":7,"is_guest":0,"slug":"makhosazane","display_name":"Makhosazane","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/08ae8e4b9b86dbda0979f667ab20cfeaa3877eb672acde59c0901ed43e1c05ab?s=96&r=g","author_category":"1","first_name":"Makhosazane","last_name":"Jiyane","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":"As an SEO Content Editor with a background in journalism and digital media, I have a passion for crafting high-quality, engaging, and informative content that connects with audiences and ranks on search engines. I believe in the power of storytelling, data-driven insights, and digital innovation to transform how information is shared and consumed. Through my work, I strive to make a meaningful impact - one article at a time."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43561"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43563,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43561\/revisions\/43563"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43561"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=43561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}