Expresso, Afternoon Express presenter Ayanda G. Thabethe to represent SA at Miss Cosmo 2026

Television presenter, host, content creator and entrepreneur Ayanda G. Thabethe has officially been announced as Miss Cosmo South Africa 2026, marking her return to international pageant competition and setting up a trip to Vietnam later this year.

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It’s a homecoming of sorts for Thabethe, who’s built a broad media career since her last time on a pageant stage – presenting on shows including Expresso and Afternoon Express, while expanding into brand partnerships, content creation and public speaking.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Human Nutrition from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and has increasingly carved out a lane at the crossroads of media, lifestyle, business and purpose.

Ayanda G. Thabethe has officially been crowned Miss Cosmo South Africa 2026, returning to the pageant stage years after her Miss SA and Miss Supranational runs. Picture: Supplied

This isn’t Thabethe’s first rodeo on the pageant circuit. She previously placed as Miss South Africa First Runner-Up in 2022 and held the Miss Supranational South Africa title in 2023. But she says this run feels different.

“I’m returning to pageantry as a woman who has grown beyond the crown. The last few years have allowed me to build a career, find my voice in media and, most importantly, understand what I want my platform to stand for. I’m not coming back simply to compete; I’m coming back with something to contribute,” Thabethe said in a statement.

Two initiatives, one mission

Central to Thabethe’s Miss Cosmo run are two linked impact projects: Crown Confidence and Sustain Her.

Crown Confidence is her empowerment initiative aimed at helping young women build confidence, sharpen communication skills, and learn to articulate their own value and ambitions – drawing directly on her own path through pageantry, media and public speaking.

Sustain Her tackles a different, more tangible problem: period poverty and textile waste. Developed with the University of Johannesburg (in collaboration with lecturers Zanné De Meillon and Danial Carsten) and in partnership with non-profit Love Our City, the initiative turns donated clothing and textile waste into reusable menstrual pads and dignity kits.

The numbers so far include more than 1 968 reusable sanitary pads produced, 320 girls already equipped with dignity kits, and a further 148 kits ready for distribution.

The initiative also folds in confidence and leadership workshops through the Crown Confidence partnership, pairing the practical need for menstrual products with a broader empowerment push.

Sustain Her runs on public support; a R165 donation sponsors one reusable dignity kit, with donations channelled through Love Our City, a registered Public Benefit Organisation.

Next stop: Vietnam

From Screen to Sash: Ayanda G. Thabethe Returns to Pageantry as Miss Cosmo SA 2026. Picture: Supplied

Thabethe’s international journey kicks off this month when she travels to Vietnam from 16 to 19 August 2026 for the Miss Cosmo 2026 pre-launch event, her first official engagement with the organisation and the start of her preparations to represent South Africa on the global stage.

The pre-launch event brings together international organisers, national representatives and stakeholders ahead of the main competition, with the full Miss Cosmo 2026 season expected to culminate in Vietnam this December.

Founded in Vietnam by UniMedia, Miss Cosmo bills itself around the concept of “Impactful Beauty” -positioning itself less as a traditional looks-first pageant and more as a platform combining beauty, culture, education, entertainment, tourism and community engagement.

South Africa already has a notable footprint in the Miss Cosmo world: in 2025, television and fashion icon Bonang Matheba hosted the Miss Cosmo 2025 Grand Finale and Beauty Music Festival in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing together more than 80 national representatives. For Thabethe, stepping into a title with that kind of South African precedent adds extra weight to the appointment.

@misscosmo.unimedia

A new chapter begins for South Africa. Congratulations to Ayanda G. Thabethe, the official representative of South Africa at Miss Cosmo 2026. Welcome to the Cosmo Family, Ayanda. #MissCosmo #MissCosmo2026 #MissCosmoSouthAfrica #Unimedia #ImpactfulBeauty

♬ original sound – Miss Cosmo – Miss Cosmo

“A crown should amplify what’s already inside you”

Looking ahead, Thabethe frames the title as a continuation of the work she’s already doing rather than a fresh start.

“I’ve always believed that a crown should amplify what is already inside you. For me, this is an opportunity to bring together the worlds I love – media, storytelling, fashion, women’s empowerment and impact -and to represent South Africa with intention.”

Her Miss Cosmo South Africa campaign is backed by Aureus Alliance Holdings as headline sponsor.

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