‘Chitown Massive‘, usually that would be the load call, served with pride for Brunette Makanaka Makanyiso, the reigning Miss World Zimbabwe, has taken the name of Chitown onto one of the biggest beauty stages in the world, and she is doing it with more than a crown on her head.

The 26-year-old pharmacist from Chitungwiza has secured a place in the Miss World Top 12, following a remarkable run at the 75th-anniversary Miss World Festival in Vietnam.

But that is only part of the story.

Makanyiso also emerged among the Top Two Beauty With a Purpose winners globally, earning an automatic place in the Top 12. She was previously named among the six African finalists for the prestigious Beauty With a Purpose challenge, where her work focused on poverty alleviation, youth empowerment and creating opportunities for vulnerable communities.

For Zimbabwe, the achievement is historic. For Chitungwiza, it feels personal.

This is a girl from the streets of ChiTown who has moved from the classroom to the pharmacy, from community work to the national pageant stage, and now to an international platform watched across the world.

Makanyiso was crowned Miss World Zimbabwe on June 6 at the Harare Hippodrome. A graduate of Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University in Russia, she entered the competition with an unusual combination of professional achievement, community involvement and a clear interest in helping young people. And her journey has remained closely connected to the issues facing communities back home.

Through her Beauty With a Purpose work, Makanyiso has supported initiatives focused on skills development and youth empowerment. Her work with Teen Rescue Mission in Chitungwiza brought her directly into conversations around young people, vocational training, mentorship and creating pathways towards independent futures.

During one of her community engagements, she visited young people learning practical skills including poultry farming, sewing, baking and welding. She also supported the distribution of sanitary products and winter blankets to vulnerable members of the community. That is perhaps what makes her Miss World journey resonate differently in Chitungwiza.

Makanyiso is not simply representing Zimbabwe because she won a national crown. She is carrying with her a story that many young people in ChiTown can recognise, that where you come from does not have to determine how far you can go.

And now, she has gone very far.

She is a pharmacist. She is a community advocate. She is Miss World Zimbabwe. And now, she is a Miss World Top 12 finalist.

At Miss World, she has competed against more than 100 national representatives and continued to collect milestones along the way. Her progress has placed Zimbabwe firmly in the international conversation, while giving Chitungwiza one of those rare moments when the world is looking in its direction for all the right reasons.

For a city that often finds itself defined by its challenges, Makanyiso offers another picture of Chitown, ambitious, educated, hardworking and capable of producing talent that can stand confidently on a global stage.

A month later in Vietnam after many memorable activities and competitions, with 111 beautiful contestants from around the world, Joheirry Mola was crowned the new Miss World comes from the Dominican Republic. The first runner-up is Elisabeth R. Alabern from Spain, and Taanusiya Chetty from Malaysia, took the second runner-up position.