Romanda Hombir

Romanda Hombir ( ; born 1999) is a South African model, audiologist, philanthropist and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss World South Africa 2026. She will represent South Africa at Miss World 2026 in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Life and career Hombir was born and grew up in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Her father hails from Germany with German heritage, while her mother has Swati and Zulu roots. Her mother is black, while her father is coloured. Hombir has stated that from the age of 10 she wanted to make a difference through a career in healthcare or in public life. She is a qualified clinical audiologist, motivational speaker and a philanthropist, and she founded her own organization Caring With Purpose.

Pageantry Miss World South Africa 2024 Hombir began her pageantry career in 2024, when she joined the Miss World South Africa 2024. During the final of the competition, she was crowned the 2nd Runner-up and was representing the Mpumalanga province.

Miss World South Africa 2026

In May 2026, Hombir joined Miss African Beauty South Africa competition, where she was competing for three titles and included in the top 30. In June, she was included in the top 20 of the competition after Shannon Benting was crowned the winner of Miss African Beauty Supranatural 2026. On 18 July 2026, she won Miss World South Africa 2026. She was crowned the winner the same day with Bajabulise Thela, Miss African Beauty South Africa 2026.

Controversy The controversy surrounding Hombir, centers on her mixed heritage. Social media users are intensely debating her nationality and tribal roots due to her surname, which has sparked heated discussions about identity and who is "truly" South African. Following her victory, online critics began investigating her Swati, Zulu and German background, questioning whether she authentically represents the country–discourse that heavily echoes the xenophobic backlash faced by Chidimma Adetshina in 2024 during Miss South Africa 2024.

Miss World 2026

Hombir will represent the South Africa at the Miss World 2026 competition in Vietnam in September 2026. She won the 2026 continental Head-to-Head Challenge and secured her spot in the top 40.

Personal life Hombir has publicly discussed her health. She stated that she was diagnosed with endometriosis and Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). According to her account, the diagnoses presented significant challenges during her career and nearly prevented her from competing.