Miss South Africa Crown Drama: Nungu Diamonds Reveals Why The Mowana Crown Is Gone

A new Miss South Africa has been crowned, but instead of everyone talking about Tiyani Makamu’s victory, Mzansi has been busy discussing what was placed on her head. The gold-coloured crown, which many viewers felt looked more like plastic than a prestigious pageant accessory, became one of the biggest talking points of the night.

The surprise did not end there. A black cape was also brought out and placed on Makamu, while audiences were left wondering what had happened to the stunning Mowana crown that had become part of the pageant’s crowning tradition since 2023.

Even outgoing queen Qhawekazi Mazaleni appeared without a crown when she first took to the stage. The confusion continued when the new crown was eventually placed on her before she passed it on to Makamu.

The reaction was immediate, both inside the Sandton Convention Centre and online, with viewers questioning the sudden change. Now, Nungu Diamonds has explained why its famous Mowana crown was missing from this year's ceremony.

Nungu Diamonds Confirms Miss South Africa Crown Partnership Ended

Nungu Diamonds co-founder and managing director Kealeboga Pule confirmed that the jewellery brand was no longer sponsoring the Miss South Africa crown for 2026. According to Pule, the agreement between the two organisations was not renewed, bringing their partnership, which began in 2023, to an end.

“I’ve seen how sad South Africans are about the current crown. It’s not ours. Unfortunately, like I say, we didn’t renew our contract with them to sponsor the crown for 2026,” he said.

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Pule explained that the partnership was renewed annually and that discussions about continuing the arrangement had taken place. However, despite efforts to reach an agreement, the two parties could not find common ground.

“Our discussions about potentially extending our agreement extended into the later part of last week, this past week. My wife and I were travelling overseas. We were still on the phone with them trying to see if there was any way we could still work together for the 2026 crowning, but like I say, we couldn’t find each other, unfortunately,” he revealed.

He declined to disclose the specific reasons behind the breakdown in negotiations, choosing instead to remain diplomatic about the separation. Pule maintained that Nungu Diamonds continued to respect the Miss South Africa platform but suggested that differences in vision had played a role.

“We want to leave the integrity of the organisation intact. We’ve always been fans of Miss South Africa. We love what it’s able to do. It’s an amazing platform, but it just needs a vision. And sometimes when the vision doesn’t align with the sponsors, it becomes unfortunate,” he said.

The Mowana crown was introduced in 2023 and worn by Natasha Vermaak, formerly known as Natasha Joubert, in 2023, Mia Le Roux in 2024 and Qhawekazi Mazaleni in 2025. Pule said the company remained proud of the design and appreciated how strongly South Africans had connected with it.

He also confirmed that, at the time of the interview, the Mowana crown was still with the Miss South Africa Organisation but was due to be returned to Nungu Diamonds from Monday.

Miss South Africa Says Tiyani Makamu's Imbokodo Crown Is Temporary

With the Mowana crown no longer part of the 2026 arrangement, the Miss South Africa Organisation has been working on a new design. At a media briefing following the finale, spokesperson Zawadi Dlamini explained that the temporary crown was linked to this year's theme, “Imbokodo to Diamond”.

Dlamini said the planned Imbokodo crown would represent the strength of women, with the organisation looking to involve young designers in its creation. He made it clear that the crown worn during the finale was not the final design.

“In fact, what we’re doing right is we are actively engaging designers. We’re going to look for young designers to contribute to the making of a new crown. This is a temporary crown, but a new crown which we’re going to call Imbokodo as well,” Dlamini explained.

The organisation also plans to share the creative process with the public, giving South Africans an opportunity to follow how the new crown comes together. However, no specific unveiling date has been announced.

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“The making of a crown is something that’s exciting, it’s something that’s glamorous, so we’ll be sharing that process and we’re really looking forward to it,” he added.

The Motsepe Group officially acquired the Miss South Africa Organisation in July 2025, and the pageant has introduced several changes since the takeover. But judging by the reaction to this year's crowning, the crown is one change that Mzansi is not ready to accept without questions.

For now, Tiyani Makamu has the title, while the organisation has promised a new Imbokodo crown. The big question is whether the eventual design will win over South Africans the way the much-loved Mowana crown did.