18 Oct 2023

Miss Botswana, Lesego Chombo, recently had a brief visit to meet finalists of Miss World South Africa 2023.

The encounter that reignited her love for pageantry and sparked her enthusiasm to participate in the coming Miss World competition.

She has now set her focus to be crowned Miss World 2023 in India this December.

During an interview, Chombo expressed her eagerness to dedicate next two months preparing to win the prestigious title.

“After completing my reign, I aim to provide guidance to the next Miss Botswana, ensuring that she is well-prepared to represent our country with intelligence, courage, and grace,” she said.

The Maun-born beauty described the experience of meeting beauty queens as thrilling and reminiscent of her own journey to compete for the Miss Botswana crown.

“This heightened my anticipation for the Miss World competition, where I will once again be among incredible young women,” she added.

She said the visit was an honor to be able to share her knowledge and experience with young women in the pageant industry, the opportunity she said symbolized her being a part of something greater, being the advancement of Africa pageantry and the creation of an equal playing field for African women as they pursue their dreams.

Reflecting on the entirety of her experience with the beauty queens, she said it truly stood out to her, adding that she found amazing having two countries competing against each other working together for the benefit of the entire continent. She described this cooperation as a beautiful sight to behold.

The 25-year-old also imparted nuggets of wisdom to the beauty queens, advising them to be honest with themselves about their true desires and greatest fears. She also emphasized the importance of knowing exactly what they were living for or hoping to achieve, as it would provide them with daily motivation.

Chombo, who is also a lawyer, stressed the significance of transparency when it comes to facing fears, asserting that addressing them head-on was the initial step in making sure they do not hinder the pursuit of passions and fulfillment of life’s purpose.

Miss Botswana stressed self-belief, adding that there was value in having confidence in one’s skills, intelligence, and purpose, saying when one truly believes in oneself, no one would undermine the worthiness of their dreams. Self-belief, she said, was an invaluable tool for success.

For her journey before and during the reign as Miss Botswana, she cited the importance of leaving a lasting impact on community through her Beauty with a Purpose initiative. She said being a national titleholder meant contributing value to one’s community and embodying the essence of one as an ambassador of her country.

She said the session with fellow contestants, provided them with a glimpse into what to expect upon being crowned, the necessary preparations for Miss World competition and was also an incredible opportunity for mutual learning. One lesson learnt was the empowering nature of South African pageant culture and how process of crowning the Queen added value to all contestants’ lives.

Chombo’s Miss Botswana BWAP project, named “The Genesis,” she said aimed to create a nurturing environment for economically disadvantaged children through a developmental program that equips their parents with essential skills and behavioral attributes.

During her reign, she said, she made a special visit to Metsibotlhoko Primary School in Letlhakeng, where she partnered with her employer in the law fraternity, Kebabonye Business Law, to donate school uniforms to the students. In addition, the beauty queen said she hosted children, parents, and the school as part of a developmental exercise.

“During these BWAP sessions we equipped parents with essential skills and behavioral attributes to create a nurturing environment for their children, despite limited means,” she said. Also, she visited children during the Princess Marina Hospital’s commemoration of International Childhood Cancer Day.

In preparing for upcoming Miss World competition in December, she said she visited Maothate Learning Centre as part of her BWAP project. She said she had partnered with Botswana Tourism Organization to explore and appreciate the country’s stunning tourist attractions in the Kgalagadi and Gakhibane areas.

She thanked Batswana who offered their support. One company that has shown its generosity was Seba Med among others. 

She said they gifted her with an exquisite collection of luggage to ensure her travels to Miss World were both stylish and well-equipped with a fully catered wardrobe. Chombo also serves as the ambassador for KGK diamonds, alongside well-known sports personality, Nigel Amos.

As part of preparation to Miss World, the Miss Botswana team unveiled twelve talented designers who created stunning outfits for the beauty queen. 

They worked closely with the queen, creating unique and stunning outfits that highlighted her beauty and style.

Miss Botswana aims to showcase the best of Botswana‘s fashion and talent while vying for the coveted Miss World Crown. 

She is set to fly to India for the 71st edition of the Miss World pageant to be held at the Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar, India on December 8th. ENDS