On July 15, Mwaiwathu Khupe was crowned Miss Heritage Malawi, outshining 15 other contestants who were also gunning for the crown. She took over from Renee Marcolus who held the crown in 2022. As Miss Heritage Malawi, Mwaiwathu will represent the country at the Miss Heritage Global in South Africa next month. Our Arts editor EDITH GONDWE caught up with Khupe in this interview. Excerpts:
Q
: First may you briefly introduce yourself?
A
: My name is Mwaiwathu Khupe. I’m a holder of a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Laboratory Technology obtained from Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (Mubas). I’m an entrepreneur and an Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) advocate.
Q
: Tell us about how you found yourself in the modelling world?
A
: I started in 2017. I worked with a lot of photographers because I enjoyed standing in front of the camera. Then later, I began to work with different organisations as a commercial and runway model.
Q
: What inspired you to join the Miss Heritage Malawi pageant?
A
: I have always wanted to participate in a pageant and when I saw a poster announcing that registrations for Miss Heritage Malawi were open, I thought I should give it a shot.
Q
: How was the experience and what do you think made you stand out from the other contestants?
A
: I had a really great first-time experience with Miss Heritage Malawi. It was very fun and adventurous. As for what made me stand out, I cannot really tell other than saying that I believed in myself.
Q
: Now that you are carrying the crown, what are your plans?
A
: I plan to use this platform and crown to grow my advocacy for adolescent girls and young women. I also plan on advocating for industrialisation as this is one of the pillars of Malawi 2063. Being an industrial specialist will give me an upper hand in identifying opportunities that will contribute towards the same.
Q
: How unique is Miss Heritage Malawi?
A
: The uniqueness of Miss Heritage Malawi lies in the whole set up of the pageant. The organisers of Miss Heritage Malawi ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all the participants. This makes it fun for all the participants from start to the end.
Q
: So far, what is your experience as a beauty queen?
A
: It has been an amazing experience.n
