Loini Jonas emerged victorious in the Miss Africa Golden Namibia 2023 pageant in Windhoek on Saturday, and will represent Namibia at the continental event in Gauteng, South Africa later this year.
She expressed her enthusiasm for the pageant’s mission, which is to promote the excellence and beauty of black women. Jonas said Miss Africa Golden serves as a mirror for young black women, and extends its influence beyond their demographic, aiming to reintroduce black heritage and culture while challenging the current world beauty standards.
She added that Miss Africa Golden is not different from other pageants, but most of its activities were done online.
Contestants participated in an online voting process for about a month. On the night of the crowning, all the girls had individual interviews with the six judges, also online.
“Each candidate got different questions, and after that had to change into their evening gowns and do the magic walk. The contestants then had to take some pictures and went to the karaoke where the previous queen, the panel of judges, and the audience were waiting for them,” she noted.
“The judges were looking for a proud African queen, someone who is proud of who they are, their culture, and where they come from. Someone not only proud enough to stand up for themselves, but for all women of colour from different walks of life. One of the important qualities the judges were looking for from the winner is confidence, their ability to authentically be themselves, and look beyond the current beauty standards set by the world,” she added.
Miss Africa Golden is a global, inclusive organisation which helps celebrate young women of African descent, and seeks to promote black originality.
“With this crown, I aim to become a symbol of hope, inspiration and empowerment for people from different backgrounds and cultures. I want to utilise my platform to promote inclusivity, diversity and equality. I strongly believe that beauty knows no boundaries, and that each individual has a unique story worth celebrating,” she said.
Jonas observed that winning the crown has placed her in a position where she is able to make changes and differences in the lives of so many other African women, the youth and beyond.
“I am so excited for what the future holds; the greatness that lies ahead with this crown is inevitable.”