Online Reporter
Sipepisiwe Moyo
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
BEAUTY queen Courtney Jongwe says Zimbabwe is full of promise and it’s her mission at the Miss World 2025 beauty pagent to show the globe the best side of her country.
She is expected to arrive in India today for the Miss World 2025 beauty pageant to be held on May 31.
The 23-year-old Chemical and Processing Engineering student from Manicaland State University will join 119 other beauty contestants drawn from across the world when she enters bootcamp today.
The 72nd edition of the Miss World beauty pageant will be held at the HITEX Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
One hundred and twenty countries are set to participate in the pageant.
“It is an incredible honour and deeply humbling to represent Zimbabwe on such a prestigious platform. I carry my nation’s spirit, stories and hopes with immense pride,” she said.
Courtney will champion her mental health initiative, The Sanctuary Project, as part of the Miss World “Beauty With A Purpose” campaign.
Her work focuses on expanding access to mental health services and creating safe spaces for open dialogue in Zimbabwe.
“My message to the world is that Zimbabwe is full of promise and our voices, especially those of young women, deserve to be heard on global platforms,” she said.
Shortly before she left the country, she told ZBC she was ready to do as well as she could at the beauty pageant.
Speaking at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, she said:
“We are ready, I say we, because we work with a strong team behind the scenes who put in so much effort to ensure that when Zimbabwe is represented and we bring out the very best of our country.
“Miss World is a women empowerment platform that focuses on inspiring women to become beauties with a purpose.
“The competition has a lot of different facets and we have put in place different preparations, for example, we have ‘Beauty With A Purpose’ . This is when I do a social project where I give back to the community.
“I focus on mental health because as a student I have seen many youths and some of my friends ending up not completing their studies as they end up involved in drugs and substance abuse.
“Sometimes they are just so stressed they can’t cope with the pressures of life so, in that regard, I started working on a mental health project and we have made so much progress.
“The second thing we work on is sport, we got a sports challenge and we have been working with a fitness trainer.”
She added:
“Being crowned (Miss World Zim) was such a life-changing opportunity for me, l felt it was God’s gift to me to give back to my country using the influence the Miss World platform would provide me.
“I have been working very hard aligning my preparations with the requirements of the global competitions.
“I have sought out professional coaches to assist in my preparations for head-to-head challenges, sports challenges, beauty with a purpose, talent competitions and top model competitions.
“I believe that what sets me apart are my unique experiences and the story that shapes who l am today.”
Kirsty Coventry, the incoming International Olympic Committee president, was at the RGM International Airport to support Courtney before she flew out of the country.
Miss World Zimbabwe director, Patience Lusengo, is confident Courtney will make a big impression.
“Courtney is a young lady who truly represents the essence of what it means to be Zimbabwean. She is strong, resilient and bright, just like our nation.”
“Her preparations have been intense and heartfelt, from advocacy presentations and gym routines to countless meetings and sponsorship calls.
“She is going with a mindset of excellence,” said Lusengo.
