IS THIS JEMIMA’S MOMENT?

WHEN a six-year-old Jemima Mandemwa watched the Miss World Zimbabwe pageant on television in 2006, she was captivated by the grace, confidence and elegance of the contestants. What seemed like a childhood fascination would later become a lifelong pursuit, shaping her into one of Zimbabwe’s most accomplished beauty queens. Five years ago, she represented Zimbabwe at Miss Environment International in India, where she finished as the fourth runner-up.

Two years later, she continued her impressive international pageantry journey by securing the first runner-up position at Miss Planet International in Cambodia. Now 26, Jemima is among the finalists competing for the Miss Universe Zimbabwe crown, with the grand finale set for Saturday in Harare. This year’s competition marks a historic first for the pageant, as organisers will crown representatives for the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Cosmo, Miss Supranational and Miss International.

For Jemima, the journey to this stage has been built over years of perseverance, growth and international representation. At just 19, she won the Miss Super Globe title and has since finished as first runner-up at Miss Planet International in Cambodia in 2023. Away from the runway, Jemima balances multiple roles.

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She is a mother to a young son and runs a local medical supplies business, proving that beauty queens can successfully combine entrepreneurship, motherhood and public service. Reflecting on where it all began, she recalls the impact that pageantry had on her at a young age. “I recall watching Miss World Zimbabwe 2006 on national TV with so much excitement and admiration.

I loved the way the contestants carried themselves with so much grace. “That was a defining moment for me and it has carried me through every experience I’ve had in the pageantry industry,” she said. Jemima said she initially faced limited support because of negative perceptions often associated with beauty pageants. “Initially when I started, I didn’t have much support because of how the world has perceived beauty pageants to be.

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