Lekke’ Meisa: Joey Roman Wins Miss International South Africa 2026
Joey Roman will represent South Africa at Miss International in Japan this November.
Image: Joey Roman/Instagram
Cape Town beauty queen Joey Roman has been crowned Miss International South Africa 2026, and come November she’ll swap die Kaap for Tokyo to compete on the international pageant circuit.
For Roman, pageants have been part of life since 2022. She first represented South Africa at Miss Teen Supranational in Ecuador.
That competition also gave her a chance to celebrate her Khoisan heritage. Roman appeared on stage wearing traditional animal-skin clothing.
She went on to win the Best Body award at the competition. Since then, her pageant journey has continued to gather pace.
Roman was selected from 400 contestants for Miss African Beauty Supranational. She also reached the top 20 for two other major South African pageants.
Those included African Beauty Miss Universe South Africa and African Beauty Miss World South Africa.
But Roman’s achievements extend well beyond pageant crowns and stage appearances.
She spent much of her younger years in Delft. The community played a big part in sparking her passion for helping young people.
Roman later moved away from Delft. Her connection with the community, however, remains a big part of who she is.
Her advocacy focuses on showing young people across the Cape Flats what can be possible. She hopes her own achievements can give young girls another reason to aim high.
Roman is also the first person in her family to graduate with a Diploma in Financial Management.
That achievement holds special meaning for her. She wants young girls from disadvantaged communities to see their circumstances as part of their starting point.
Her community work also continues through Joey’s Heart Foundation.
The foundation works with organisations on food and clothing drives in Delft. It also helps young girls access everyday essentials.
Now, Roman has an international stage waiting for her.
She says one of the biggest attractions of Miss International is representing a side of South African culture she believes deserves greater attention.
Her Khoisan heritage will therefore travel with her when she competes in Japan.
The competition is expected to take place towards the end of November. Until then, Roman has plenty on her plate.
Her preparation will include training, public appearances and plenty of pageant work. She also plans to keep building her community initiatives.
For anyone who has followed her journey since her Delft days, Japan will be quite a moment.
We wish her all the best.
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