Lillian Nompumelelo Andries, an exploration geologist from Ramotswa who was crowned Queen of Miss Universe Botswana 2025, over the weekend in Francistown will represent the country at the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, Thailand in November this year.
In the hotly contested beauty pageant, which was held for the first time in Francistown, Dabilo Moses from Maitengwe and Wangu Modise from Sebina were crowned first and second princesses respectively.
“I am nervous, I cannot believe Batswana saw it fit and believe I am the best candidate to wear the Miss Universe Botswana 2025 crown. At the moment I am filled with some much gratitude and I thank Batswana for their overwhelming support since I started this journey. They believed in me and I cannot thank them enough,” said the delighted 30-year-old damsel.
This she shared is a milestone which marks the beginning of a longer and important journey, to represent Botswana on the international arena.
But the beauty queen narrated that it has not been easy to reach this far as she encountered many challenges, but she preserved and kept her eyes of the crown. “All my fellow contestants are beautiful, stunning and capable to wear the crown. They challenged me and made me to become the best version of myself. But to emerge the winner, I worked extra hard to bring out my A game,” she noted.
Andries said she is eager not only to represent but to serve Botswana in Thailand, where the final Miss Universe competition will be held.
“With the recent decline in the sales of our diamonds, the best strategy as I go out to Thailand is to market Botswana, on the Miss Universe platform, which is rated among the top five marketing platforms. With a followership of over one billion online audience and over 190 countries, this is the platform I will use extensively to market Botswana, its culture, tourism, people and diamonds”, continued Andries.
Andries who is not new to beauty pageants says at the age of 19 she had the opportunity to represent Botswana at the Miss Grand International in 2014 in Thailand. Although she did not clinch the crown, she learnt valued lessons and exposure that helped her grow as a woman in pageantry and life in general.
“Due to other commitments in life, such as school and career I was not able to pursue pageantry. The issue of age, restricted me from contesting in other pageants. So, when Miss Universe opened up its age limit, this began a personal assignment. A decade later I am back into pageantry”, concluded the excited Queen.
