By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The crowning of Miss World South Africa 2026, Romanda Hombir has prompted discussion on X, where users questioned her surname and heritage, drawing comparisons with last year’s public debate surrounding former Miss South Africa finalist Chidimma Adetshina.
Hombir is no stranger to the competition. She was named second runner-up at Miss World South Africa 2024 before returning to claim this year’s national title.
The backlash comes after xenophobic controversy surrounding fellow beauty queen Adetshina during the Miss South Africa 2024 pageant. She faced public scrutiny over her citizenship and right to represent the country because of her Nigerian and Mozambican parents.
Romanda received the prestigious title on Mandela Day, 18 July, at the Barnyard Theatre, Menlyn, Pretoria.
However, many people online wondered which South African tribe the surname ‘Hombir’ belonged to and claimed that the beauty pageant organisers, former Miss South Africa Bokang Montjane-Tshabalala’s company African Beauty International, welcomed non-South Africans to compete.
According to Miss World, the pageant queen, who is also a motivational speaker and model, hails from Mpumalanga and is of Swati, Zulu and German heritage.
The organisation described Hombir as an ‘audiologist and community health advocate’ whose ‘Beauty With a Purpose project centres on making healthcare more accessible while empowering young people through education, skills development and community upliftment’.
She is the founder of the Caring Purpose Foundation, a community-driven organisation dedicated to expanding access to healthcare, literacy programmes, nutritious meals, mobile health screenings and skills development in underserved communities.
Romanda is equally passionate about women’s health, using her platform to raise awareness of conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and fibroids.
The 75th Anniversary Edition of the Miss World Festival takes place in Vietnam from 9 August to 5 September 2026.