MAKOBE INSPIRED BY OWN LIFE JOURNEY

Miss Curvylicious South Africa 2026 finalist Nankie Makobe

Miss Curvylicious South Africa 2026 finalist Nankie Makobe has been inspired by her own life journey to join the pageant.

“My life has not been easy as I have been judged and misunderstood, and my own family never supported me in anything that I dreamt of, and for a long time I waited for love and validation from people that I thought should love me the most, but it never came,” she says.

Makobe says she then saw the founder of Miss Curvylicious South Africa pageant on social media and discovered what the pageant stands for; how it uplifts women, celebrates everybody and gives women a voice and she immediately fell in love with the pageant.

“The life journey of the founder of the pageant itself also inspired me deeply because her story taught me a powerful lesson: we don’t always need the support of the people we expect it from, and sometimes the people who will love you, support you and celebrate you exactly as you are, are not your own blood; they are your sisters in purpose,” she said emphatically.

“Miss Curvylicious pageant taught me that if I don’t stand up for myself, then no one will; it taught me to love myself, to stop worrying about what people say about my body, my background and where I come from,” explained Makobe.

She says she joined the Miss Curvylicious South Africa pageant because she wanted to reclaim her confidence; to love her body without apology and to show other women who have also been judged and unsupported that they too can rise and shine.

“We are beautiful, we are worthy, and we don’t need permission to shine,” enthused Makobe.

Nankie Makobe was born in Limpopo and presently she lives in Mamelodi East Extension 10.

She is 41 years old.

As a parting shot Makobe said the following:

“This is more than a pageant to me; it is healing, it is self-love and it is home.”