The dream chaser from Vaalgras

Johanna Swartbooi

By Rukee Kaakunga

On 20 July, Johanna Swartbooi was crowned Miss Namibia 2025. To those who had not followed her journey, this might have seemed like an overnight success story. However, this model, entrepreneur and pageant queen has been working long and hard to get where she is today.

First time around

Johanna’s first shot at Miss Namibia was way back in 2019. Although she did not win the main title, she performed very well, earning the second runner-up, top achiever and top model titles. Following that success, Johanna continued to work as a model, taking part in Windhoek’s premier fashion week while also pursuing her entrepreneurial goals.

In a previous interview with FlyNamibia, Johanna gave us a glimpse into her life as a Namibian fashion model living the dream in Cape Town. During her time there, she worked with prominent fashion designer Gavin Rajah and with major commercial brands such as Pick n Pay, Superbalist, SpecSavers and McDonald’s.

Staying grounded

Throughout her journey, Johanna remained grounded by her faith, family and friends. She especially credits her mentor for supporting her through it all, noting that this support fuelled her passion to keep pushing for her dreams. “I don’t do anything alone. I’m so fortunate to have had so many people behind me who were working with me towards this goal (Miss Namibia), which has been a blessing,” she says. For Johanna, these relationships trump anything else. “Relationships are the biggest currency you can have, even more than money.”

Crowning glory

“I pray a lot,” Johanna says. “Before I went on stage for the final announcement, I just said to God, ‘We’ve worked so hard together, so please give me what I deserve and please don’t disappoint me!’ My mind was calm, and as soon as my name was called, I was just like, ‘Thank God!’”

While this was not her first rodeo, Johanna shares how hard the pageant was. “It was so much harder this time because of the standard that I set for myself,” she says.

Six years later, Johanna wears the Miss Namibia crown with pride, a crown she vowed to claim if she was ever to take part in the pageant again. “After performing so well during my first attempt in 2019 and coming back this year, the only other title I expected to get was the main one. There was no room for failure,” she says. This self-imposed expectation put a lot of pressure on her, she says, but she was able to soldier on with the support of her mentor, who has been by her side since 2019.

“I worked so hard and prayed so much, and I was grateful to achieve my dream,” the self-proclaimed “stubborn dreamer” shares.

The road ahead

The biggest dream currently keeping Johanna awake is her impending Miss Universe participation. Something she has dreamt of as soon as she stepped into the pageant world, Miss Universe is the one that Johanna wants to conquer with as much confidence as she did Miss Namibia. “No shade to the other pageants, but Miss Universe is the one pageant I always set my eyes on.” Her dream to participate in the international showpiece was so great that she marked it on her calendar before the Miss Namibia pageant even began. “I always wanted to represent Namibia internationally, but no other pageants cut it for me. It had to be Miss Universe or nothing,” she says.

Apart from conquering the Miss Universe pageant, Johanna is looking to pour back into her creative endeavours. “The creative industry is my passion. Through the ||Hapo (Dream) initiative, I want to encourage more Namibians to chase their dreams,” says Johanna. Through the initiative, she nurtures Namibian youth through skills development workshops focused on capacitating creative entrepreneurs to professionalise their initiatives. “There are so many opportunities for Namibian creatives. But, unfortunately, we are not formalised, so my mission is to register and formalise more businesses within the sector and contribute to the research that exists within the sector,” she says. As part of this initiative, Johanna has also hosted a fashion round table to facilitate dialogue aimed at improving the fashion sector.

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