Miss World Namibia, Selma Kamanya may not have clinched the Miss World 2025 title, but she raised the bar by being in the top 8 alongside Hasset Dereje Admassu from Ethiopia, as the only Africans who advanced to that level of the competition. 

Held in Telangana State, Hyderabad, India on 31 May – participants from all over the world came together for a month-long celebration of culture, service, and purpose as part of the 72nd edition of the international beauty pageant. 

The Miss World 2025 pageant began with 108 contestants and progressed through several elimination rounds — Top 40, Top 20, and then Top 8 — before four continental winners were announced. 

Kamanya advanced past every stage to secure her place among the final eight contestants globally. 

“We got the wonderful opportunity to commune with and spend time with Victoria Memorial Homes’ beautiful children. We had a beautiful conversation about stepping out of your comfort zone,” said Kamanya of her experience. 

She said meeting young girls made her feel inspired, as she got the opportunity to enter their perspective and observe the world through their eyes. This coincides with the theme of this year’s pageant “Beauty with a Purpose”. 

Additionally, Kamanya stood out thanks to her graceful runway walk and commanding presence, and she was named the Top Model Africa. 

“I find myself in a state of sheer gratitude. Who would have thought this little girl would make it this far. Namibia, I have no words. Your encouragement gave me hope every day, to keep fighting, to keep pushing, and to keep believing that anything is possible. I love you all so much, thank you for trusting me to be your voice and representative. I have immense amounts of love and gratitude for you,” she posted on her social media before the big day. 

She is a 1996 Windhoek native, a graduate of the Namibia University of Science and Technology with a diploma in economics. Her interest in important societal concerns, including mental health and sustainable agriculture, is supported by her academic background. 

Kamanya established the InnoNation Foundation in 2018, the year she was crowned Miss Namibia with an emphasis on women’s education and youth economic empowerment. 

She started ‘Inno-Grows’, an initiative that aims to establish hydroponic urban farming units in underprivileged communities, using this platform. 

Thailand’s Opal Suchata was crowned Miss World 2025, with Ethiopia’s Hasset Dereje Admassu as first runner-up, followed by Poland’s Maja Klajda and Martinique’s Aurélie Joachim.