Miss World 2026: Malawi Replaces Beauty Queen With Minister’s Daughter
Malawi has replaced its reigning beauty queen, Thandi Chisi, as the country’s representative at Miss World 2026, choosing first runner-up Ireen Navicha instead.
Navicha is the daughter of Malawi’s Cabinet Minister Mary Navicha. She replaced Thandi Chisi
Chisi won the Miss Malawi crown on December 13 in Lilongwe and was expected to represent the country at the global pageant, which is scheduled to be held in Vietnam from August 9 to September 5, 2026.
Beauty queen, Thandi Chisi
Her replacement has, however, stirred debate in Malawi, with questions being raised about why the winner of the national competition was removed from the international contest.
The Miss Malawi Organisation initially said Chisi was being replaced because she was above the age limit for Miss World.
That explanation soon came under scrutiny because Chisi is expected to be 27 when the international pageant takes place, an age that falls within the eligibility range generally stated for the competition.
The organisation later acknowledged that there had been confusion over the age requirement.
Benedette Mweso, Chief Executive of the Miss Malawi Organisation, was quoted by local media as apologising for the mix-up and accepting responsibility for the confusion surrounding Chisi’s eligibility.
A different explanation later emerged from Goshen City, the principal sponsor of the pageant.
The sponsor said Navicha’s selection was part of a new approach designed to give more finalists access to international opportunities rather than reserving such opportunities solely for the overall winner.
Miss Malawi board chairperson, Prophetess Mary Bushiri, was quoted as saying that opportunities would also be extended to the first and second runners-up, as well as other finalists.
The decision has nevertheless continued to attract public attention, particularly because the new representative is the daughter of a serving Cabinet minister.
Miss World has since confirmed Ireen Navicha as Malawi’s representative for the 2026 competition.
Chisi, meanwhile, has maintained a composed stance amid the controversy.
In a message to her supporters, she said a crown does not determine who a queen is, stressing that character matters more.
In a statement issued on July 27, Chisi said she believed the relevant facts would emerge in time and promised to address the controversy openly and responsibly when the time was right.
The development has left Malawi’s return to the Miss World stage overshadowed by questions about the process behind the change, even as Ireen Navicha prepares to represent the country in Vietnam.
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