71st Miss Universe: Meet the contestants from Africa and Asia Pacific

Twenty-eight contestants from the regions of Africa and the Asia Pacific are currently vying for the 71st Miss Universe title in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Bhutan joined for the first time while Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Seychelles made a comeback. It is Seychelle's first participation since 1995.

The Philippines still leading Africa and the Asia Pacific with four wins. India and South Africa (leading in Africa) followed with three wins each, and Australia, Japan, and Thailand with two wins each. Angola, Botswana, Israel, Lebanon, Namibia, and New Zealand have each won one time.

Will Africa and the Asia Pacific manage to win another crown? Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu of India achieved the Asia Pacific region's last victory while Africa's last was in 2019 with Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa.

Meet the contestants:


ANGOLA - Swelia Da Silva António

AUSTRALIA - Monique Riley

BAHRAIN - Evlin Khalifa

BHUTAN - Tashi Choden

CAMBODIA - Manita Hang

CAMEROON - Mouketey Lynette Monalisa Jelly

CHINA - Sichen Jiang

EQUATORIAL GUINEA - Alba Isabel Obama Moliko

GHANA - Engracia Mofuman

INDIA - Divita Rai

INDONESIA - Laksmi De Neefe Suardana

JAPAN - Marybelen Sakamoto

KOREA - Hanna Kim

KYRGYZSTAN - Altynai Botoyarova

LAOS - Payengxa Lor

LEBANON - Yasmina Zaytoun

MALAYSIA - Cheam Wei Yeng

MAURITIUS - Alexandrine Belle-Étoile

MYANMAR - Zar Li Moe

NAMIBIA - Cassia Sharpley

NEPAL - Sophiya Bhujel

NIGERIA - Hannah Iribhogbe

PHILIPPINES - Celeste Cortesi

SEYCHELLES - Gabriella Gonthier

SINGAPORE - Carissa Yap

SOUTH AFRICA - Ndavi Nokeri

THAILAND - Anna Sueangam-iam

VIETNAM - Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Châu

The 71st Miss Universe pageant will air live from the New Orleans Morial Convention Center on January 14. India's Harnaaz Sandhu will crown her successor at the end of the event.


RELATED POSTS:


Popular posts from this blog

Miss Universe Poland 2026 is Vivica Lewandowski

Image
Following a highly competitive selection process, the Miss Universe Poland organization has officially announced Vivica Lewandowski as Miss Universe Poland 2026. The 21-year-old international model and fashion designer hailing from Barrington, Illinois will represent Poland at Miss Universe 2026 in Puerto Rico this November. No stranger to pageantry, Vivica is a former Miss Illinois Teen USA who made the Top 20 at Miss Teen USA 2023. She also won the title of Miss Illinois USA this year and competed in Miss USA 2026 last August in Miami. Another fun fact about her is that her mother, Mandy Lane Lewandowski, is also a former beauty queen who won Miss Illinois USA 1998. "With a heart fuller than words could ever express, it is with great honor to announce that I am your new Miss Universe Poland," shared the new Miss Universe Poland. She also wrote online, "Some dreams are so far beyond what we ever imagine for ourselves, that we never think they could become our reality....
Read more

75th Miss Universe: Miss Universe 2026 Fan Vote is officially OPEN

Image
With just weeks left before the Miss Universe 2026 pageant in Puerto Rico, the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) has announced the official start of fan voting. Fans can visit missuniverseorg.com to view profiles of the official contestants and cast their votes. The contestant earning the most fan votes will automatically advance to the Top 30. Beyond voting for a Top 30 spot, fans can also participate in special voting categories such as Best Evening Gown, Best Swimsuit, and Best National Costume. According to MUO, the launch of fan voting is part of Crown Season, the period of celebration leading up to the final show, during which fans can engage with the Miss Universe experience and show their support for contestants from their countries. The 75th Miss Universe officially launches on November 8, when the contestants arrive in Puerto Rico to begin activities that will culminate in crowning of the next Miss Universe in front of a global audience on November 24. MUO encourages fans to ...
Read more

FAVORITES: Miss Universe 2026 Top 15 pre-arrival favorites

Image
The Miss Universe 2026 season is nearly upon us, and Puerto Rico—the gracious host territory—stands ready to embrace the universe's most beautiful women as they vie for the prestigious title. Reigning Miss Universe Fátima Bosch from Mexico will crown her successor on November 24 at the iconic José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan. Who will be crowned the next Miss Universe? Meet our pre-arrival favorites: (in alphabetical order) Colombia - María Alejandra López Dominican Republic - Melissa Núñez Finland - Veera Grönlund Honduras - Luisa Pineda India - Kaziah Mejo Mexico - María Vargas Netherlands - Melissa Bottema New Zealand - Georgia Waddington Philippines - Bea Millan-Windorski Puerto Rico - Jennifer Barreto Spain - Susana Medina South Africa - Bajabulise Thela Tanzania - Elizabeth Makune USA - Justus Kelley VENEZUELA - Clara Vegas Special mentions:  Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Ethiopia, Great Britain, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Peru
Read more

Cuba's Leah Reyes Amores crowned Miss Teen Universe 2026

Image
Leah Reyes Amores of Cuba was crowned Miss Teen Universe 2026 on Sunday, October 25 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The 16-year-old student from Miami received her crown from last year's winner Amira Moreno of Venezuela. She is the second Cuban representative to win the title next to Lynette Arce-Garcia (Miss Teen Universe 2023). Mailyn Reese Marsh of Hungary was named first runner-up while Catherine Wardle of the Philippines finished as second runner-up. The rest of the runners-up were Noa Jansen of the Netherlands (third), Kiran Reddy of the USA (fourth), Adeeko Omokehinde Omotoyosi of Nigeria (fifth), and Shaniya MacLeod of Indonesia (sixth). Former Miss Universe Victoria Kjær Theilvig from Denmark hosted the show alongside Venezuelan model William Badell and Italian-Canadian actor Nico Locco. "Today I wake up with a heart full of happiness and gratitude. Thank you to God for so many blessings, and to every person who has been a part of this dream. We did it together, Cuba," ...
Read more

Miss Universe 2026 final competition tickets sell out in just 48 hours

Image
The Miss Universe Organization has just announced that Miss Universe 2026 final competition tickets completely sold out within just 48 hours of becoming available for purchase. This year's much awaited pageant will conclude on November 24 at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Although the final competition has already sold out, you can still secure tickets for the National Costume Show and Preliminary Competition through ticketera.com . As stated by the organization, "Both shows will showcase NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN musical performances and cultural surprises that will make this 75th anniversary unforgettable." MUO has also shared the first look at the STATE-OF-THE-ART stage (pictured above) created for the 75th edition of the prestigious pageant. Photo: Miss Universe
Read more

Paris-born model Garance Authié is the new Miss Universe France

Image
Garance Authié was proclaimed Miss Universe France 2026 on October 18 and will represent her country at Miss Universe 2026 in Puerto Rico this November. The 22-year-old Paris-born international fashion model is the first representative under the new organization after Miss France parted ways with the Miss Universe license. Lilou Emeline-Artuso and Mareva Michel were the rest of the Top 3 finalists who battled it out for the national title. With a background in business administration and a master's in management and finance from London, the new Miss Universe France embodies beauty, intelligence, and ambition. Passionate about women's empowerment, Garance champions independence, authenticity, and the freedom for every woman to define her own success. "Waking up and it still feels like a dream," she wrote on social media after winning her title. Road to the 75th Miss Universe: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Garance Authié (@garance.auth...
Read more

Dominika Viktorie Kotoučková is the new Miss Universe Czech Republic

Image
Dominika Viktorie Kotoučková has taken on the role of Miss Universe Czech Republic 2026 following Sophia Maria Osako's decision to resign. "Representing the Czech Republic is a great honor and a great responsibility. After careful consideration of all circumstances, I have decided to pass the participation in the international competition to another candidate," Sophia shared. The newly appointed Miss Universe Czech Republic is a 25-year-old biomedical student and equestrian from Prague. She was officially sashed and crowned in a special ceremony held on Wednesday, October 21 at the iconic Lobkowicz Palace. Previously first runner-up of Miss Universe Czech Republic 2026, Dominika will now prepare to represent her country at the 75th Miss Universe (Miss Universe 2026) pageant in Puerto Rico this coming November. "We are incredibly proud to welcome Dominika as our official representative and wish her every success as she prepares to carry the Czech flag onto the global ...
Read more

Stephanie Ríos crowned Reina Hispanoamericana Puerto Rico 2027

Image
Stephanie Ríos has been appointed Reina Hispanoamericana Puerto Rico 2027 and will represent Puerto Rico at Reina Hispanoamericana 2027 in Bolivia. The 33-year-old beauty was officially sashed and crowned in a special ceremony held on Friday, October 23 at the Hyatt Centric San Juan Isla Verde. Stephanie is no stranger to pageantry, having competed in Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2024 as Toa Alta's representative. She secured fourth runner-up placement and earned the Miss Photogenic award. The new Reina Hispanoamericana Puerto Rico holds bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's in business administration with a focus on human resources. Road to the 35th Reina Hispanoamericana: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Derek Javier (@i.mderekmunoz) Photos: Wild Media Agency, Derek Munoz / Instagram
Read more

Mexico's Andrés Briseño wins Mister International 2026

Image
The 18th Mister International pageant wrapped up with an electrifying final show on Saturday, September 26 at MCC Hall Bangkapi in Bangkok, Thailand. Andrés Briseño, a 21-year-old athlete and law student from Mexico, was proclaimed Mister International 2026. This remarkable achievement marks a historic moment as he becomes the first Mexican ever to claim this prestigious title. Ignacio Monclus of Spain was named first runner-up, while Indonesia's Gede Aiswarya Kartika, Turkey's Doğukan Navdar, Vietnam's Nguyen Vu Linh, and Sri Lanka's Ravindu Wijesooriya secured the second, third, fourth, and fifth runner-up positions respectively. Rounding out the Top 10 were impressive competitors from Nigeria (Abure Ebosetale), the Philippines (John Wayne Alba), Korea (Jung Gyu Park), and Thailand (Waranyu Tharasiriwattanakul). The rest of the Top 20 were from Australia (Dylan Mahoney), Canada (Maverick Service), Iraq (Mustafa Bayati), the Netherlands (Yannick Tavernier), Northern Cy...
Read more

LIVE UPDATES: Miss Grand International 2026 Grand Final Results

Image
Miss Grand International 2026, the 14th Miss Grand International beauty pageant is happening tonight at MGI Hall in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 77 grand beauties from around the world will compete for the golden crown currently held by Emma Mary Tiglao of the Philippines. The show is live streaming on Grand TV official YouTube channel and is hosted by Matthew Dean alongside former queens Isabella Menin, Luciana Fuster, CJ Opiaza. Also joining as hosts of the evening are reigning MGI All-Stars winner Vanessa Pulgarin and runner-up Nguyen Huong Giang. Who will be crowned the next Miss Grand International? View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 (@missgrandinternational) --- FINAL RESULTS --- SPECIAL AWARDS Best National Costume Pakistan - Zara Younus Thailand - Patthama Jitsawat Philippines - Angelica Lopez Hong Kong - Xuebing Liu --- TOP 25 Ecuador - Shyare Andrade (Country's Power of the Year...
Read more