Newly-elected Miss Malawi Thandie Chisi is a passionate social impact leader whose work champions women and youth empowerment. She uses the power of sustainable fashion and entrepreneurship for social and economic transformation. Through her Sustainable Fashion and Women Empowerment (SFWE) initiative, Thandie has been empowering girls to stay in school and achieve socio-economic independence.
She described her crowning last Saturday at Pearl Convention Centre in Lilongwe as a climax of her long term mission to use fashion as a tool for empowering women in the country. “All along, I have been passionate about fashion, beauty and modelling. My vision was fuelled when it aligned well with great minds behind the rebranded Miss Malawi pageant who proved further to me that fashion, beauty and modelling are more than cat walking on the runway.
“And I am excited to embark on this noble journey of social transformation,” she said. As Miss Malawi 2025/26, Thandie went away with K50 million and other prizes. She said part of the money will be used to amplify voices of young women through her SFWE initiative.
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Thandie has a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Malawi (class of 2022). Her initiative partnered with National Economic Empowerment Fund (Neef), NBS Bank and Tiwafikire organisation to empower over 40 women through the Empower Her Now tailoring and Sustainable Livelihood Environmental Conservation project. The women were equipped with entrepreneurial skills to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods.
Thandie said: “At Sustainable Fashion and Women Empowerment, we believe women should be empowered to lead effectively in different spheres of their lives. “Therefore, Empower Her Now is more than just training; it is a huge investment in building financially confident, resourceful and socially responsible entrepreneurs who can thrive in today’s competitive markets.” The programme also equipped young women with business management and planning skills such as branding, marketing, customer relations, budgeting, bookkeeping, savings, sustainability and ethical business practices.
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