Miss South Africa 2025 Qhawekhazi Mazaleni Launches Empower Youth Africa Campaign

Miss South Africa 2025 and qualified speech therapist Qhawekhazi Mazaleni is celebrating a major milestone as she officially kicked off her Empower Youth Africa campaign. The beauty queen shared joyful moments from her first campaign activity, where she spent time with school learners at Zenzeleni Primary School, reading to them and encouraging a love for books and learning.

Mazaleni took to social media to post pictures of herself surrounded by excited learners as she read stories and interacted with them. One of the highlights of the visit was her reading her very own published children’s book, Amasele Amdaka, to the learners. The experience marked a meaningful start to a campaign that is close to her heart and aligned with her professional background in speech therapy.

Speaking about the special day, Miss South Africa 2025 shared her excitement and gratitude, saying, “And just like that, I have officially kickstarted my Empower Youth Africa campaign. It was such an honour to host my first book-reading session at Zenzeleni Primary School, a truly fulfilling and full-circle moment for me.”

She also revealed that important work is already underway to make her book more accessible to young readers across the country. “The process of translating Amasele Amdaka has already begun, and being able to read the original version to my little friends this morning was incredibly special,” she shared.

Zenzeleni Primary School is an isiXhosa and isiZulu speaking school, which made the experience even more meaningful for Mazaleni. She explained how engaging with learners in their home language helped them connect better with the story. “Zenzeleni Primary School is a isiXhosa and isiZulu speaking school, which allowed us to engage with the isiXhosa version of the book. It was beautiful to see the children so actively participating, answering questions, and connecting with the story in their home language,” she said.

As both a titleholder and a speech therapist, Mazaleni stressed the importance of early childhood reading and learning. She highlighted how language plays a key role in a child’s development and academic journey. “As a speech therapist, it is deeply important to me to advocate for early reading and learning resources. There is strong scientific evidence that mother-tongue instruction plays a critical role in shaping academic success,” she explained.

She ended by expressing how emotional and rewarding the experience was for her. “As an advocate for inclusive education, today truly filled my heart with joy,” she shared.

With the successful launch of her Empower Youth Africa campaign, Qhawekhazi Mazaleni has shown her commitment to making a real difference in the lives of young learners, using her platform to promote education, language development, and inclusive learning across South Africa.