Leisure – Zimbabwe’s Brunette Makanaka Makanyiso is now at a crucial stage of her Miss World 2026 journey, and with the competition entering its decisive phase, the question is no longer simply whether she can make the Top 40.
The bigger question is: How can Brunette navigate the new Miss World format all the way to the crown?
The answer lies in understanding the competition, exploiting every available pathway and building a powerful combination of public support, purpose, personality, intelligence, runway presence and judging appeal.
Miss World has introduced a new format for its 75th Anniversary edition, with the competition narrowing from the Top 40 to the Top 20, then the Top 12 and finally the Top 6 before the new Miss World and two runners up are crowned. The 40 quarterfinalists will be divided equally across Africa, the Americas and Caribbean, Asia and Oceania, and Europe, with ten contestants coming from each continental region.
For Brunette, this means there is not just one road to the crown.
There are several.
The First Mission: Secure the Top 40
The immediate objective must be to get Brunette safely into the Top 40.
The People’s Choice competition provides one of the most direct opportunities.
Miss World’s People’s Choice voting is being conducted in three stages, beginning with the continental race for places in the Top 40. The contestant with the highest number of voting points in each continental region secures direct entry into the Top 40. Voting then continues through later stages of the competition.
For Zimbabwe, this should therefore become more than an ordinary pageant voting campaign.
It should become a national mobilisation campaign.
Brunette needs Zimbabweans at home and abroad to understand that every vote can potentially help move her closer to the crown.
The campaign should be simple and consistent.
Vote Brunette. Share Brunette. Talk about Brunette. Introduce someone else to Brunette.
Voting instructions should be made easy to understand, with short videos showing supporters exactly how to participate. Zimbabwean media organisations, influencers, businesses, community organisations and the diaspora can all play a role in expanding the voting network.
The objective should be to make Brunette one of Africa’s strongest public vote candidates.
Top Model Could Be a Major Breakthrough
Brunette’s Top Model journey is another critical part of the strategy.
Brunette has already reached the Top 60 of the Miss World Top Model competition, making the event one of the most important opportunities in her journey.
Top Model is much more than a fashion showcase.
It can become a direct pathway deeper into the competition.
Brunette therefore needs to approach the runway as a strategic opportunity.
She must demonstrate confidence, elegance, control, poise and the ability to command attention within seconds.
The judges should not simply see a beautiful woman walking down a runway.
They should see a woman who looks capable of carrying the Miss World brand.
Her Zimbabwean identity should also remain part of her presentation. She needs to bring an unmistakable sense of Zimbabwean elegance while demonstrating that she can compete comfortably on an international stage.
Beauty With a Purpose Could Become Brunette’s Biggest Weapon
Perhaps Brunette’s strongest long term asset is not the runway.
It is her purpose.
Brunette’s work around youth empowerment, vocational training, healthcare awareness and community development gives her a powerful foundation for the Beauty With a Purpose component.
This is where the campaign must become deeper.
The mistake would be to present Brunette simply as another beauty queen involved in charity.
Her story needs to go much further.
She should be presented as a young African healthcare professional who understands the relationship between health, poverty, education, skills and opportunity.
Her message should connect healthcare, youth empowerment, skills development, economic independence and dignity.
The central idea is simple:
Young people do not only need to be told what not to do. They need opportunities that give them a reason to believe in their future.
That is a message that can travel beyond Zimbabwe.
It can resonate across Africa and with the international Miss World audience.
Head to Head Is Another Opportunity
The Head to Head Challenge provides another opportunity for Brunette to demonstrate what photographs and runway appearances cannot fully communicate.
Her intelligence.
Her communication.
Her worldview.
Her ability to think under pressure.
Her answers should feel natural rather than rehearsed.
Whether the subject is Zimbabwe, Africa, youth unemployment, healthcare, education, poverty, women’s empowerment or development, Brunette needs to consistently communicate a coherent philosophy.
She should be able to explain what she believes, why she believes it and what she wants to change.
The goal is not to sound like a politician.
The goal is to sound like a thoughtful young African woman who understands the challenges facing her generation and believes she can contribute to solutions.
The Top 20 Is Where the Competition Changes
According to the new Miss World format, the Top 20 will consist of five automatic qualifiers and 15 contestants selected by the judges.
The five automatic places come through the major fast track competitions, while the judges then select another 15 contestants, with the selection structured to ensure that the final Top 20 contains five contestants from each continental region.
This is extremely important for Brunette.
It means she does not necessarily need to win one particular challenge to continue her journey.
She can qualify through a fast track competition.
She can qualify through the judges.
Or she can use her strong overall performance across several areas to convince the judges that she belongs among Africa’s five representatives in the Top 20.
That is why Brunette’s campaign must be built around the complete contestant.
Not just the beauty.
Not just the votes.
Not just the charity work.
The complete package.
From Top 20 to Top 12
Once Brunette reaches the Top 20, the stakes become even higher.
The judges will select the strongest contestants from each continental region, alongside the Beauty With a Purpose finalists, to determine the next stage of the competition.
This is where Brunette’s African identity becomes especially important.
She must be perceived as one of the strongest African contestants in the competition.
That means she needs to demonstrate that she is not simply representing Zimbabwe.
She is carrying a story from Zimbabwe to Africa and from Africa to the world.
Her communication, appearance, purpose and personality must all reinforce that message.
The People’s Choice Route Must Never Be Abandoned
One of the biggest strategic mistakes would be to stop campaigning for votes after reaching the Top 40.
People’s Choice remains strategically important as the competition progresses.
Therefore, Zimbabwe needs to think long term.
The People’s Choice campaign should evolve rather than disappear.
The first objective is Top 40.
The next objective is to maintain enough public support to keep Brunette competitive in the later People’s Choice stages.
That means the public must remain emotionally invested in her journey.
People need to feel that they are not simply voting for a contestant.
They are travelling with her.
The Final Six Requires More Than Popularity
By the time Brunette reaches the final stages, public support alone will not be enough.
The judges need to believe that she has the qualities required of Miss World.
This is where her preparation becomes critical.
She needs to be confident without appearing arrogant.
Elegant without appearing distant.
Intelligent without sounding rehearsed.
Purpose driven without making every conversation sound like a campaign speech.
Most importantly, she needs to be memorable.
After seeing more than 100 contestants, judges must still remember who Brunette is, what she stands for and why she deserves to win.
That is the real battle.
Zimbabwe Needs to Build a Movement Around Her
The campaign should therefore move away from occasional posts saying, “Good luck Brunette.”
Those posts have their place, but they cannot carry a Miss World campaign.
Zimbabwe needs a much stronger narrative.
Zimbabwe is taking Brunette to the crown.
That message changes the psychology of the campaign.
Instead of asking people simply to support a beauty queen, it invites them to become part of a national journey.
Every major piece of content should have a purpose.
One day can introduce Brunette beyond the crown.
Another can focus on her career as a pharmacist.
Another can tell the story of her work with young people.
Another can showcase Zimbabwean culture.
Another can focus on Top Model.
Another can focus on Beauty With a Purpose.
Another can focus on her ability to speak.
Another can mobilise the diaspora.
And throughout the campaign, the voting message should remain visible.
Brunette’s Story Needs a Clear Identity
When the competition becomes intense, the strongest contestants are often those who have a clear identity.
Brunette’s identity should be built around a simple combination:
Brunette Makanyiso. Zimbabwe. Pharmacist. Youth empowerment. Health. Skills. Purpose. Africa.
That is the story people should remember.
She should not be presented as just another contestant in a field of national ambassadors.
She should be presented as a young Zimbabwean woman whose professional background and community work give her a meaningful platform to speak about the future of young people.
That foundation gives Zimbabwe something substantial to build on.
The Road to the Crown
The ideal journey for Brunette is therefore straightforward.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE → TOP 40 → TOP MODEL / BWAP / HEAD TO HEAD / JUDGES → TOP 20 → TOP 12 → TOP 6 → FINAL → MISS WORLD 2026.
But the journey should never depend on one door.
If Top Model opens the door, she must walk through it.
If Beauty With a Purpose opens the door, she must walk through it.
If People’s Choice opens the door, Zimbabwe must push her through it.
If the judges open the door, she must be ready.
That is the strategy.
The Crown Is a Complete Package
Brunette does not need to be the strongest contestant in only one category.
She needs to become one of the strongest contestants overall.
The crown will ultimately require the judges to see beauty, intelligence, purpose, communication, confidence, leadership, international appeal and the ability to represent the Miss World brand.
Zimbabwe already has a contestant with a strong foundation.
Now the country needs to build the machinery around her.
The public must vote.
The media must tell her story.
The diaspora must mobilise.
Her team must prepare her relentlessly.
Her purpose must be communicated clearly.
Her runway performance must be memorable.
Her interviews must demonstrate intelligence and authenticity.
And every stage must be treated as part of one larger mission.
Top 40.
Top 20.
Top 12.
Top 6.
Top 4.
The Crown.
Brunette’s journey is no longer simply about representing Zimbabwe at Miss World.
It is about showing the world what Zimbabwe can produce when beauty is combined with purpose, intelligence, professional excellence and a genuine commitment to community.
The road is difficult.
But the route exists.
And Zimbabwe now has to walk it with her.
Zimbabwe to the crown.