"Maybe its a Swati Dance": Miss World SA Romanda Hombir's Dance in Vietnam Raises Questions
- Romanda Hombir, Miss World South Africa 2026, performed in the Dances of the World event in Vietnam on 2 September
- South Africans questioned her dance style, with some saying it looked more like Igbo, samba or Portuguese moves than anything South African
- Hombir previously addressed her identity, saying her mother is of Swati and Zulu heritage and she is proudly South African
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Romanda Hombir, the 27-year-old clinical audiologist who was crowned Miss World South Africa in July 2026, found herself at the centre of fresh debate after footage of her performing in Vietnam circulated on social media.
Source: Instagram
The video, shared by @ashseraka on 4 September 2026, showed Hombir taking to the runway during the Dances of the World segment at the 73rd Miss World festival in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on 2 September. The performance was accompanied by theatrical lighting, a cityscape backdrop and branding for the pageant's Vietnam host city.
Many viewers were unconvinced the performance reflected South African culture. Some compared her moves to Igbo dancing, samba or Portuguese-style choreography, arguing the performance did not represent the country's rich dance traditions.
The criticism also reignited questions about Hombir's background, largely driven by her mixed heritage and the ongoing conversation about who truly represents South Africa on international stages following the Chidimma Adetshina controversy in 2025. Watch the performance that got South Africans talking:
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Miss World SA stands firm on identity
In a prior SABC News interview, Hombir addressed concerns about her background directly. She is from Nelspruit, Mpumalanga. Her mother is of Swati and Zulu descent, and her father is Coloured, with German and Mongolian ancestry on his side.
Mzansi Reacts to the Vietnam Performance
The debate reflects how complex cultural representation can be for a nation as diverse as South Africa, particularly when its citizens are watching from thousands of kilometres away. Reactions on X were divided, with many doubling down on their scepticism:
@sewelankoana wrote:
"South Africans don't dance like this." (Are you sure she is Miss South Africa?)
@Amahashi_ said:
"There's no single South African that dances like this!"
@Jabu_Macdonald offered a different view:
"Don't Swati people dance like this?"
Other Briefly News stories about Miss World SA
- Newly crowned Miss World South Africa 2026 Romanda Hombir faced online backlash after a social media blog questioned the origins of her surname.
- A viral video showed newly crowned Miss World South Africa 2026 Romanda Hombir receiving a celebratory welcome from her colleagues at Edenvale Hospital.
- A viral TikTok video captured excited crowds singing and dancing to celebrate 27-year-old clinical audiologist Romanda Hombir following her Miss World SA 2026 crowning.
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Source: Briefly News
