More than a crown

Charene’s vision to turn empowerment into action

Many girls dream of wearing the Miss Namibia crown and sash, but just over a month ago, that dream became a reality for Charene Labuschagne when she was crowned in Gobabis.

As the judges’ final decision was announced, Charene was in disbelief and shock. “I don’t think my mind had caught up with what had just happened. For a few seconds, everything went completely quiet. I had spent so much time preparing, questioning myself, hoping, praying and imagining that moment, and then suddenly I was standing there, and my name had been called,” she recalls vividly.

That first moment brought about an overwhelming combination of disbelief and gratitude. “And then I looked around and realised that this wasn’t just a personal achievement anymore. I had been given the responsibility of representing an entire country,” says the headstrong Charene, whose poise, charisma and intelligence won over the hearts of the judges and an entire country.

A life-changing journey

As the top 10 finalists engaged in preliminary activities aimed at ushering them towards self-discovery and growth, Charene embraced it all and admits that the journey to the crown was life changing.

“When I first got the call as a semi-finalist, there was still a part of me wondering whether I was enough – enough for the stage, enough for the title, enough to represent Namibia. But as the journey continued, I became much more comfortable with who I already was.”

On top of helping her gain more confidence, the experience also changed her perspective of where she fits into the image of the modern Namibian woman. “I realised I don’t need to fit into one particular idea of what a Namibian woman looks or sounds like. I can be ambitious, outspoken, creative, imperfect, deeply proud of where I come from and still be exactly the woman Namibia needs.”

By the crowning night, she was no longer trying to convince anyone that she deserved the crown. She stood on the stage as herself, and the rest, as they say, is history.

  • Miss Namibia Organisation

A reign of realising plans, hopes and opportunities

Looking ahead, Charene envisions her reign to be one that will create opportunity.

Through her advocacy, she has shed light on the importance of giving women the tools, confidence and access to build something for themselves. Aptly called Thrive Collective, the advocacy has already given Charene the chance to work with young women in entrepreneurship, creativity and opportunity mapping, and she wishes to take that work further through the Miss Namibia platform.

She says, “I don’t want empowerment to be a beautiful word we use on a stage. I want it to mean practical skills, access to resources, mentorship, networks and the confidence to say, ‘I can build a life for myself.’ If, at the end of my reign, more young Namibian women feel capable of creating their own opportunities rather than waiting for someone to give them one, then I’ll feel that I used this title well.”

Gearing up for Miss Universe

As she steps into her role as Miss Namibia, Charene is simultaneously preparing for the Miss Universe competition. For her, international pageant preparation is more of a marathon than a performance that can be perfected overnight.

The work required to get ready includes a fitness regimen of strength, stamina and posture training. Mentally, she intends to spend even more time understanding the woman she is, the country she is representing and the story she wants to tell.

“I don’t want to arrive in Puerto Rico trying to imitate other contestants or other ideas of what a successful Miss Universe looks like. I want to arrive as an incredibly wellprepared Namibian woman who knows exactly what she stands for. And I want to enjoy it. Namibia has given me an extraordinary opportunity, and I want to be present enough to experience it,” she says confidently.

A proud and patriotic Namibian to her core, Charene gushes when speaking about her country. “Namibia is so much more layered than people realise. We are a young country with an incredibly rich and complicated history, and we have so many different cultures, languages, landscapes, traditions and stories living alongside one another. But there is also a very modern side to Namibia – ambitious young people, entrepreneurs, artists, conservationists, innovators and women who are building extraordinary things.”

During her reign and especially when she represents Namibia at the Miss Universe pageant, she wants people to see Namibia beyond its beautiful landscape. She sees her crown as the perfect opportunity to continue doing her outreach work on a bigger platform.

“For me, being Miss Namibia isn’t about becoming more important. It’s about becoming more useful,” she says.

A message to the youth

For the young girls currently witnessing Charene’s reign and wishing to be just like her when they grow up, Miss Namibia has this piece of advice: “Don’t make yourself smaller because you are afraid that your dream is too big.”

She is also careful to stress that winning a crown should not be seen as the ultimate form of validation. “I want little girls to understand that their worth isn’t dependent on winning a crown. The crown is simply one possible expression of what you can become. You don’t have to become Miss Namibia to be extraordinary. You can become a scientist, an entrepreneur, an artist, a mother, a conservationist, a leader, whatever speaks to you.”

For her, believing that you are allowed to take up space in any shape or form is the ultimate mark of success, and every girl deserves to grow up knowing this.

From the September 2026 issue

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