By Patience Makwele

As the nation watched former Miss Namibia 2018, Selma Kamanya, wear her crown, few knew the profound journey unfolding beneath it. Beyond the glitz and glamour of pageantry, Kamanya was building a legacy of purpose, moving from representative to founder, from advocate to entrepreneur. Today she stands with confidence as a woman who sees a platform not as a pedestal, but as a vehicle for a meaningful and lasting change.
For Kamanya, the transition from wearing a crown to founding a foundation has been deeply personal and emotional. Her experience in pageantry exposed her to a new level of individual social responsibility. “When I first got into pageantry, it exposed me to a deeper level of individual social responsibility,” she shared. “When you see it firsthand, you can no longer turn a blind eye.” That realization forever changed her, shifting her focus from temporary acts of charity to building sustainable solutions.
Her family was the first to suggest starting a foundation. It became the means to ensure her work had longevity and could create lasting impact. She now sees her entire journey as interconnected. “The crown led me to my purpose,” she said. “My purpose is actually that of doing social work, being a public servant, looking for solutions where I can provide them and using my platform to advocate for those that have been marginalized.”
Kamanya’s dedication to mental health advocacy reflects on her mission to use her platform for a meaningful change. She is aware of the stereotype attached to pageant winners, often dismissed as shallow, but she is determined to challenge it. “The main thing is that you are given a platform to drive sustainable change in your community and educate for social causes close to your heart,” she emphasized.
While mental health has been an ongoing issue in Namibia for decades, Kamanya’s own exposure to its challenges in 2018 inspired her to raise awareness. She chose mental health advocacy after careful thought, recognizing that in an age of social media, young people face constant pressure and identity struggles.
“I am not a qualified psychologist or counselor, so my interactions have to be guided,” she said. “I can offer encouragement and general advice based on my experience, but if a matter requires professional help, I always refer people to a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist. Giving unregulated advice can be dangerous, so I am very careful to only do what I can while pointing people to the right professionals.”
Building on her advocacy, Kamanya recently launched the Global Namibia One project, designed to create job creators, not just job seekers. Drawing on her own experience, she reflected: “Looking back on my own experience as a young titleholder at 21, I had a lot of ideas but lacked mentorship and guidance. I realized that young people need mentors, catalysts, and platforms to bring their brilliant ideas to life.”
Through her foundation, she is working to create an ecosystem where young entrepreneurs have access to information, knowledge, and networks to refine their ideas. The project focuses on empowering young people to take charge of their destinies — something she is deeply passionate about because she has walked that same road. “I speak about the lack of mentorship because I had a lack of mentors at that place,” she said. “I speak about what I need on the platform to bring ideas to life because that’s how I felt when I was there.”
Beyond her public persona, Kamanya defines a confident woman as someone who “knows herself and makes the effort to cultivate and nurture herself and her gifts.” She added, “I believe that God has given each of us a purpose. Often, we look to the external world to define us, but it’s crucial to look inward.”
This is something she admits to struggling with herself — especially in the public eye, where validation often comes from outside. “A confident woman, however, finds what the Lord has placed inside her that can be a valuable contribution to society. This starts with sitting down with yourself and asking, ‘Who am I? What makes me special? What are my talents and abilities?’”
Her advice to young women is to turn inward and develop their character. “Character development is one of the most important catalysts when it comes to discovering your potential in the world. It is the cornerstone to becoming successful.”