The Miss South Africa Organisation has launched a Women’s Leadership Impact Fund that aims to raise close to R5 million for projects led by young women.
According to Glamour South Africa, the money will come from philanthropic, corporate and development partners. It will support leadership, business and community projects run by young women.
“The future of Miss South Africa is bigger than a crown. We are creating a platform that invests in leadership, opportunity and impact,” said Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, the UCT Chancellor and Patron of Miss South Africa.
She spoke during a fireside conversation at the launch event. “Our ambition is not simply to crown a winner, but to support a generation of women leaders who will help shape South Africa’s future,” she said.
Inside the larger fund, a separate R1 million fund has been set aside for the Top 12 finalists. It will pay for projects that the finalists plan and lead themselves.
The organisation also announced R300,000 in cash awards shared across the Top 12. The finalists will get leadership training, mentorship, wellness support and access to professional networks.
All 12 finalists have been made ambassadors of the organisation’s youth programme, known as EYA. They will keep these roles after the finale ends.
As EYA ambassadors, they will lead work on education, small business, health and wellness, youth leadership and community development. The organisation said this means every finalist stays part of its long term plans.
The prize plan for the top three has also changed. Each winner now gets a cash award for herself and a separate fund for community work.
Miss South Africa 2026 will receive a R1 million cash award plus a R500,000 impact fund. The First Princess will get R250,000 in cash and a R150,000 impact fund.
The Second Princess will receive R150,000 in cash and a R100,000 impact fund. The top three will also get mentorship, wellness support and access to regional and global leadership networks.
Valdene Reddy, who represented the JSE, backed the plan. She said it was important to open more paths for young women into leadership, business and the economy.
Reddy said putting money into women leaders helps build stronger businesses and communities, and an economy that includes more people.
The reigning Miss South Africa, Qhawekazi Mazaleni, told the finalists to make the most of the chance in front of them.
“This journey is about far more than a title. Use every opportunity to learn, grow and serve,” Mazaleni said. “The impact you create through your leadership, the lives you touch and the change you inspire will be your greatest achievement.”
The organisation also introduced the Miss South Africa Talent and Leadership Agency, called MSTLA. It is a business arm that will find work for finalists and former contestants.
According to the organisation, MSTLA will arrange brand deals, ambassador roles, speaking jobs and professional representation. Its income will also help pay for EYA programmes.
The event ended with a JSE Closing Bell ceremony, which the organisation said marked a new chapter for Miss South Africa.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Glamour South Africa. Image: Glamour South Africa. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.