Zimbabwean model becomes first black woman to be crowned Miss London

Zimbabwean model Vimbai Chapungu made history recently when she became the first black person to be crowned Miss London 2019 and now a first finalist in this year’s Miss England beauty pageant.

Becoming the first black woman to hold the title, this gave Chapungu the chance to represent the city in the Miss England pageant this month.

According to Zimbabwean Mail, Chapungu wore her natural hair during the pageant and she emerged in the top 3 of the 55 contestants for the bare-faced model title.

Chapungu, who is a classically trained singer, is undergoing her Master’s degree in Geography at a London university.

The 24-year-old qualified as one of the 50 finalists out of other 20,000 women that entered this year’s competition. The Miss England final held in Newcastle saw contestants participating in Sports round, Talent round to an Eco-wear round and general knowledge quiz.

Although she didn’t win, she was overwhelmed to have made it to the finals. The young model expressed gratitude to her supporters, “I am overwhelmed by the support and love shown by the people in Africa. I am proud to be from the continent and hope to represent you all well.”

Chapungu has a strong passion for learning about the world and the people in it. She is hoping to use this platform as a beauty queen to create awareness about development issues and also to empower communities.