Online Reporter
Tafadzwa Zimoyo-Zimpapers Entertainment Editor
TWELVE days after Miss Universe Zimbabwe 2026 winner Roseanna Hall was crowned and the dust has settled, former Miss Zimbabwe 1994 edition Angeline Musasiwa has shifted focus to the bigger picture — the future of Zimbabwean modelling and pageantry.
Musasiwa, who represented Zimbabwe at the 1994 edition of the Miss World pageant and finished among the top 4 contestants, recently returned home and reflected on the transformation she has witnessed within the local pageantry sector.
Aishwarya Rai of India won the Miss World title in 1994. The 44th Miss World pageant was held at the Sun City Entertainment Centre in Sun City, South Africa.
So far, this is the highest placement in the history of modelling in Zimbabwe.
Musasiwa, who has been away from Zimbabwe for 32 years, recently returned to serve as one of the judges at the Miss Universe Zimbabwe 2026 grand finale.
“It is really lovely to be back home after a long time, 32 years, and this is my first time coming back home for Miss Universe Zimbabwe pageant since I left the country. I went to work in South Africa, left modelling and got married and had children,” she said.
“I then joined the corporate sector and worked for about 20 years, and we moved to Nigeria and spent eight years breaking from the corporate sector and focused on raising my children.”
She said she is back in the modelling and fashion world, but focusing on entrepreneurship.
“I am back in the game now, and I have two brands which focus on eyewear and skincare, based in South Africa. It has been lovely being back home, and I am also trying to see how best I can penetrate my brand back home.”
Her return marked a full-circle moment for the former beauty queen, who said she was impressed by how much the local pageantry industry has evolved during her absence.
“It has been wonderful seeing the girls Zimbabwe is offering. I have seen a lot of positive changes in Zimbabwean pageantry. The standards have improved, the organisation has improved and there is clear commitment to developing young women through these platforms,” she said.
The former queen believes Zimbabwe has immense potential to produce internationally competitive models and beauty queens capable of excelling on the global stage.
“We have beautiful, intelligent and talented young women who can compete with the best in the world. The potential is there,” said Musasiwa.
“I am glad we now have Miss Universe Zimbabwe, Miss World Zimbabwe, Miss Inter-continental Zimbabwe and Miss Supranational Zimbabwe, among other pageants, it shows the growth of modelling in the country, and I encourage relevant authorities to support them.”
However, she stressed that success at the international level requires proper grooming, training and long-term investment rather than rushing contestants into major competitions.
“We need to prepare our models and queens properly. International pageantry is not about hurried projects. It takes time, consistency, mentorship and exposure to meet global standards and compete effectively,” she said.
Musasiwa added that with continued investment in talent development and professional preparation, Zimbabwe can establish itself as a force to reckon with in international modelling and beauty pageants.
Having witnessed the industry both during her reign and now more than three decades later, the former Miss Zimbabwe said she was encouraged by the progress made and optimistic about the future.
For Musasiwa, once a queen is always a queen, and she believes Zimbabwe’s next generation of beauty queens has every opportunity to make the nation proud on the world stage.
