Expresso, Afternoon Express presenter Ayanda G. Thabethe to represent SA at Miss Cosmo 2026
Ayanda G. Thabethe has been named Miss Cosmo South Africa 2026, marking her pageantry comeback with two new empowerment initiatives ahead of her trip to Vietnam.
Television personality Ayanda G. Thabethe has been named as South Africa's representative for Miss Cosmo 2026, signaling her return to international pageant competition. This comes after her previous appearances on Miss South Africa and Miss Supranational stages. Thabethe, a media professional with a degree in Dietetics and Human Nutrition, has expanded her career into brand partnerships, content creation, and public speaking.
She emphasizes that this pageant run is distinct from her previous ones, stating that she now has a purpose to contribute beyond the competition. Thabethe's initiatives during her tenure include Crown Confidence, which focuses on empowering young women through confidence-building and public speaking, and Sustain Her, a campaign tackling period poverty and textile waste by converting donated clothing into reusable menstrual pads.
She will represent South Africa at the Miss Cosmo 2026 pre-launch event in Vietnam from August 16 to 19, 2026, before competing in the main event in December.
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