Twenty-four-year-old speech therapist Qhawekazi Mazaleni who has been crowned Miss South Africa 2025 says she plans to use her reign to champion inclusive education across the country.
Mazaleni was crowned at a prestigious ceremony held at the SunBet Arena, Times Square in Pretoria, on Saturday, 25 October 2025. The glamorous event marked the 67th edition of the Miss South Africa pageant and drew thousands of viewers both in the arena and online.
Hailing from East London in the Eastern Cape, Mazaleni holds a Speech, Language, and Hearing Therapy degree from Stellenbosch University and is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Pretoria, focusing her research on autism and language development.
During her crowning night, Mazaleni spoke passionately about her mission to promote inclusive education, explaining that she has already begun her work in this area by publishing an isiXhosa children’s book titled “Amasele Amdaka.” The book, inspired by her experiences as a speech therapist, encourages children to embrace language learning and cultural diversity. She expressed her dream to have the book translated into all 11 of South Africa’s official languages to reach more children.
Fluent in several South African languages, Mazaleni believes linguistic inclusivity is key to improving literacy and learning outcomes. She pointed to national statistics showing that 81 % of Grade 4 learners in South Africa struggle to read for meaning, saying this reality drives her passion for change.
Beyond her educational advocacy, Mazaleni has also vowed to empower young people with communication skills and self-confidence through speech and language therapy outreach programmes.
Her reign as Miss South Africa 2025 comes with an impressive prize package including R1 million in cash, a luxury furnished apartment for the year of her reign, and various sponsorship deals.
Interestingly, under the new structure of the Miss South Africa Organisation, Mazaleni will not represent South Africa at Miss Universe 2025, a role that will instead be assigned to another delegate chosen later in the year. This change allows Mazaleni to focus entirely on her domestic advocacy work and community impact.
The new queen succeeds Mia le Roux, Miss South Africa 2024, and continues a legacy of strong, purpose-driven titleholders. Pageant organisers described Mazaleni as “a woman of vision, compassion and purpose,” perfectly aligned with the Miss South Africa platform’s commitment to social transformation.
Mazaleni’s journey to the crown has also been inspired by family; her sister, Homba Mazaleni, was a Top 5 finalist in Miss South Africa 2023, making this victory especially meaningful.
As she embarks on her year of reign, Mazaleni says she hopes to “create a legacy of change” by working with educators, authors, illustrators, and policymakers to make South Africa’s classrooms more inclusive and multilingual.
