Online Reporter
Zimpapers Entertainment Editor
This month marks the emotional end of Lyshanda Moyas’ reign as Miss Universe Zimbabwe, a journey marked by resilience, grace and determination.
Had the pageant followed its original calendar, she would already be preparing to hand over her crown. However, with the competition now shifted to June, Lyshanda finds herself in a reflective in-between moment, standing between legacy and transition.
“Fourteen years… that is how long I have been walking toward this moment,” she said.
“People see the crown, gowns and stage, but they don’t see the journey that started in Gweru, with a young girl who just wanted to be heard.”
Behind the glamour is a story shaped by multiple identities. Lyshanda is a qualified nurse, a finance professional, and a beauty queen who refused to be limited by expectations.
“The ‘bad’ days were the hardest. People would ask how I can be a nurse and a model, or why I am in finance. But I realised the problem was never my path — it was people’s expectations. I had to believe I could be all these things at once,” she said.
At one point, she almost walked away from pageantry altogether. After her last appearance in 2021, doubt crept in.
“I genuinely thought maybe my time had passed. I questioned if someone like me, a nurse from Zimbabwe, belonged on a global stage.”
But she returned stronger, eventually stepping onto the Miss Universe stage where Zimbabwe made the Top 30.
“I felt every Zimbabwean girl in that moment. Those working 9-to-5 jobs while chasing 5-to-9 dreams. That wasn’t just my name being called — it was all of ours.”
She also highlighted Zimbabwe’s strong showing among African nations.
“We were one of only three African countries in that tier. That told me we belong. From my Baobab-inspired costume to every word I spoke, I wasn’t just representing a country — I was representing possibility.”
For Lyshanda, the crown was never the destination, but a platform for impact. She is now focused on Sustainable Development Goal 9 — Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
“Dreams without resources remain dreams,” she said.
She has also launched the Lyshanda Moyas Educational Fund, aimed at empowering young Zimbabweans with practical tools for success.
“I don’t want the next generation to just dream. I want them to build. We need access and infrastructure. That’s how we create real change,” she said.
As her reign nears its end, she is already reflecting on the next queen.
“To the next queen: do not fear rejection. Every ‘not yet’ shapes you. Use the platform to uplift, innovate, and to leave Zimbabwe better than you found it.”
Her journey, she insists, is not a fairytale but a roadmap.
“If a girl from Gweru can make the universe take notice, so can anyone.”
As the crown prepares to change hands, Lyshanda Moyas leaves behind a reign defined not only by beauty but by purpose and impact.
Bongani Ndlovu