Miss Grand International beats 12 rivals to win Tanzania’s first Pageants Pageant

DAR ES SALAAM: WHEN Jihan Mohin Dimachk won the Miss Grand International crown in Bangkok, Thailand, I thought the occasion called for something more than the usual congratulations, photographs and excited telephone calls.

It called for a competition of its own. So, with the same Friday spirit I brought to this apology of a column last week, I am declaring Miss Grand International the champion of the inaugural Tanzania Pageants Pageant.

Before anybody starts looking for the trophy, let me explain. There was no stage, no panel of judges and no envelope marked “the winner is…”

This is an imaginary competition, inspired by the growing number of international beauty pageant licences held in Tanzania. But if such a contest existed, Jihan’s victory would make Miss Grand Tanzania a strong choice for the first crown. Its representative went to Bangkok and came home with the main prize.

That is a fairly persuasive entry. Tanzania now has 13 licences for international beauty pageants. It is an encouraging number and one to be proud of.

It means more opportunities for young women to represent the country, show their talents, meet people from other parts of the world and introduce Tanzania to audiences who might otherwise know us only through wildlife documentaries and photographs of Kilimanjaro.

But the number also gives me one small and entirely unserious worry. If we are not careful, we may wake up one morning to discover that Tanzania has 110 pageants and nobody can remember who is meant to wear which sash.

Every corner will have a Miss This, a Miss That, a Miss Somewhere-in-the-Middle, a Miss at the End and a Miss Who Comes Immediately After Her.

There will be Miss Tanzania, Miss Tanzania International, Miss International Tanzania and, perhaps, Miss Tanzania International’s Official International Miss.

By then, every titleholder may need a name badge explaining which crown she is wearing and possibly a flowchart. This is not a complaint.

It is just a thought and one that comes with a smile. But it does raise a sensible question: as the pageant scene grows, how do we keep it clear, organised and meaningful?

Among the international competitions represented in Tanzania are Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss Grand International, Miss Supranational, Miss Cosmo, Miss Earth, Miss International, Miss Global, Miss Africa Golden and Miss Tourism.

There is also Miss Afrikana International, where the winner of Miss Tanzania 2026 is expected to represent the country next year at the competition in Ghana.

Behind each name are organisers, teams and national licences. The company 361 Degrees Africa, led by Mustafa Hassanali, runs Miss World.

Millen Privé & Co. Lifestyle, owned by international supermodel Millen Magese, is behind Miss Universe and Miss Supranational. Lamata Village Entertainment runs Miss Tanzania.

Its leader, Leah “Lamata” Mwendamseke, is also the national director for Miss Afrikana Tanzania. That means the winner of Miss Tanzania this year is expected to have another international journey ahead next year.

One crown, it seems, can come with a suitcase, a passport and a calendar that suddenly becomes very busy.

Then there is MissNazi Entertainment, which manages nine beauty pageant licences: Miss Grand Tanzania, Miss Cosmo Tanzania, Miss Earth Tanzania, Miss International Tanzania, Miss Intercontinental Tanzania, Miss Africa International Tanzania, Miss Africa Golden Tanzania, Miss Tourism Africa International and Miss Elite International.

Nine licences under one roof are quite a portfolio. It is also quite a calendar. There are auditions, training camps, announcements, national finals, international trips and the duties attached to every title.

Whoever manages all that may need three diaries, two telephones, a very patient assistant and a fourth diary to keep track of the first three.

When the organiser’s phone rings, it may not be a friend asking whether dinner is ready. It could be a contestant asking about rehearsals, a sponsor requesting an update, a travel agent checking a ticket or someone at the airport wanting to know whether the delegation is on its way.

In pageantry, “I will call you back” may be less a promise than a survival technique. MissNazi Entertainment is led by Nazimizye Adam Mdolo.

She acquired the Miss Grand Tanzania licence in 2024 and was crowned Miss Africa International in 2023. She knows the pageant world from both sides: as a contestant who has stood on the stage and as a leader helping other contestants prepare for their own international journeys.

That experience matters. Sending a representative abroad is not simply a matter of putting her in a sash and hoping for the best.

She needs preparation, discipline and the confidence to speak about her country. She must be ready to meet contestants from different cultures and to carry herself well when the spotlight is on her.

The crown is one part of the journey; representing Tanzania is another. The growing number of platforms can therefore bring real opportunities.

More contestants may find a route to an international stage. More young women can gain experience, build confidence and learn to present themselves before a global audience.

Pageants can also give Tanzania a chance to promote its culture, tourism and people in settings where the country is represented by someone standing in the room, not merely by a flag on a map.

ALSO READ: Jihan’s crown unites Tanzania in pride

But growth needs a little housekeeping. Contestants should know which competition they are entering, what the licence covers and what the winner is expected to do.

The public should also be able to tell one pageant from another without a family tree, a magnifying glass and a guide carrying a small flag.

Organisers, too, benefit when their roles and responsibilities are clear. Otherwise, the imaginary 110 pageants may begin to feel less like a joke and more like a timetable problem.

We will need a national director to coordinate the national directors, a committee to coordinate the committees and a calendar the size of a map of Tanzania.

Someone will announce, “Miss Tanzania is travelling next week,” and the immediate question will be, “Which one?” At that point, even the taxi driver will refuse to start the engine until someone produces the correct sash.

The answer is not to stop the pageants from growing. It is to make sure the growth is well managed. Clear information, good preparation and sensible coordination will help contestants, organisers, sponsors and supporters know where they stand.

They will also help the public appreciate what each platform offers. For now, there is much to celebrate.

Tanzania holds 13 licences and Jihan has brought home a major international crown. Her victory has given pageant supporters plenty to cheer about and put Miss Grand International firmly in the spotlight.

I therefore award it the inaugural and entirely unofficial title of Tanzania Pageants Pageant Champion. There is no trophy yet, but the committee of one has spoken.

Congratulations to Jihan, MissNazi Entertainment, Nazimizye Adam Mdolo and all the organisers preparing Tanzanian contestants for international competitions.

And one small request to the pageant community: please keep counting those licences carefully. At this rate, the licence register may soon need its own national director.

We are at 13 for now. If we wake up one day and find 110, I will need a contestant from Miss Mathematics Tanzania to calculate who is competing where and whether the crowns outnumber the contestants.

She may need her own crown, of course. At this rate, even the mathematicians may soon have a pageant and the winner will be decided by long division.