Patience Makwele
Young people in the Zambezi Region are looking to the 2027 Miss Namibia and Miss Teen Namibia pageants as a chance to put local talent, culture and creative industries in the national spotlight.
The region will host the two national pageants for the first time next year, taking over from Omaheke, which hosted Miss Namibia 2026.
For 30-year-old fashion designer, entrepreneur and former University of Namibia Katima Mulilo campus graduate and teacher Grace Liyali, the hosting could bring much-needed business to creatives whose work is often seasonal.
Speaking to the Young Observer, Liyali said the impact could extend beyond fashion designers to young people producing crafts, handbags, baskets and other handmade products.
“There is talent in the region, and fashion is also among this,” she said.
Liyali said the Zambezi Vocational Training Centre (ZVTC) has also been offering fashion design classes, while other institutions in the region provide tailoring training, creating a growing pool of young people who could benefit from increased demand.
She said pageants and festive-season events already generate business for designers, but hosting a national event could significantly increase that demand.
“Now imagine what’s going to happen when we have such a prestigious event in the region. It’s going to be like every fashion designer or every creative person is going to be flocking with clients because everyone wants to look their best. Everyone wants to represent,” Liyali said.
She further encouraged creatives to start preparing ahead of the pageants instead of waiting until the event arrives.
“My advice to fashion designers, those in the creative and tourism industry in the region is that they should start looking at what’s the latest trending niche within their industry, they should start being creative, start practising,” she said.
Liyali said preparation could put local designers in a stronger position to secure clients when contestants and visitors arrive in the region.
“This is our moment. This is our chance to also showcase that not only are we hosting Miss Namibia, our young, fresh musicians, the young ones that are into the music industry, they are going to collaborate with those bigger musicians who are from the city and who are known here in the country,” she said.
She said such collaborations could expose young creatives to new networks while allowing them to learn from established artists.
Liyali also believes the pageants could change the visibility of young people already involved in modelling and beauty competitions in the region.
“We have fresh talent here in the region,” she said, adding that young models are often known within the region but struggle to gain exposure outside it.
She said the University of Namibia’s Katima Mulilo campus and schools in the region regularly hold pageants, giving young people opportunities to gain experience in modelling and public presentation.
“Having this moment come to us is going to simply mean that these young ones, the fresher ones that are going to witness this, are going to be inspired to have that desire of wanting to continue applying and participating in the pageant even after it has left the region,” she said.
The pageants are also expected to create opportunities for young people working in photography, videography, beauty, music, dance, performing arts and event management.
Zambezi governor Dorothy Kabula has urged businesses to view the hosting as more than a sponsorship opportunity, calling for investment in young people and the region’s creative sector.
“I therefore encourage our business community to see Miss Namibia 2027 not only as a sponsorship opportunity, but as an investment in our region, our young people, our creative sector, our tourism industry and our local economy,” Kabula said.
NBC vice chairperson Oaitse Van Staden said the Miss Namibia platform was intended to develop young Namibian women through purpose, education, character and leadership.
“We believe that beauty, when combined with purpose, education, character and leadership, can become a powerful tool for positive change,” she said.
For Liyali, however, the value of the pageants goes beyond the event itself.
She said the hosting could lead to cultural exchanges, collaborations between young creatives and greater exposure for the region’s tourism and cultural heritage.
“It’s not only going to be left as a mark, at least now we can look forward and say that we also hosted Miss Namibia, and we showcased this and that, and at the end of the event, this is what we came out being known for,” she said.
Zambezi is home to communities including the Mafwe, Masubia, Mayeyi, Mbukushu, Matotela, Lozi and Mashi, as well as a range of cultural and natural attractions that will be placed before a national audience during the hosting.
Liyali said she expects the impact to continue beyond the 2027 pageants.
“It’s going to be something that is going to be left on for generations and generations to come,” she said.
