From the vibrant heart of Bulawayo emerged a bold changemaker rewriting the narrative of Zimbabwean women, Amanda Ngcono Nkomo, a model, author, public speaker, and fierce advocate for girl-child empowerment whose journey blends beauty, intellect, and purpose.
Born in Zimbabwe and raised in the United Kingdom from the age of four, Amanda never lost sight of her Zimbabwean roots.
Her upbringing across continents shaped a global outlook but her heart remained anchored in homegrown service and social impact.
She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Studies from the University of Wolverhampton in 2022, a stepping stone that reinforced her belief in using education as a tool for advocacy and transformation.
At just 17, Amanda entered her first beauty pageant, inspired by the poise and power of global icons.
That spark ignited a trailblazing path. Crowned Miss World Zimbabwe UK in 2017, she gained international recognition, which paved the way for her to represent Zimbabwe at the Miss Global International pageant in Jamaica (2019) and later at Miss Globe 2023 in Jamaica, where she made it to the Top 20 finalists.
But Amanda’s mission extends far beyond pageantry. In 2019, she founded the Ngcono Mbowane Foundation, a grassroots initiative supporting young girls and women in Zimbabwe with school supplies, sanitary products, and life-changing health and empowerment workshops.
Her foundation champions educational equity, period dignity, and women’s rights, with Amanda personally leading outreach missions to rural schools and under-resourced communities, impacting over 550 students so far.
She also created #GirlTalk, a powerful platform and live event in Bulawayo designed for young women aged 15–30 to address critical topics like gender-based violence, mental health, and sexual health, fostering open dialogue and resilience.
Amanda’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Her accolades include: Zimbabwean Young Achiever of the Year (2018), Rising Star at the Zimbabwe International Women’s Awards (2018), Miss World Zimbabwe UK (2017), and selection as a delegate at the Model United Nations, including a visit to the UN Headquarters in New York.
She was also nominated for Africa’s Forty Under Forty (2022) in Philanthropy, the Emerging Brands Africa Awards (Diaspora category), and was shortlisted for the University of Wolverhampton Alumni Humanitarian Award (2024).
Through all her achievements, Amanda remains deeply connected to her roots, continually driven by a vision to uplift Zimbabwe and inspire national pride through collective empowerment.
She continues to break barriers not just as a public figure but as a woman using her voice, influence, and compassion to uplift others and reshape what’s possible for the next generation of African girls.
