Dar es Salaam. Former beauty queen and director of Look company, Basila Mwanukuzi, has officially transferred the management rights of the Miss Tanzania pageant to Lamata Village Entertainment, a company owned by Tanzanian film director, Leah Mwendamseke, popularly known as Lamata.
The handover took place on April 14, 2026, marking a new chapter for the national beauty pageant, with Lamata now set to oversee the organisation and execution of the competition.
Speaking during the handover, Mwanukuzi said the decision was the result of a long and careful process involving multiple interested parties, including international investors.
“This was not just business. I have invested in it, so I had to be certain about who I was handing it over to,” she said. “Even investors from Turkey came forward with interest in acquiring the Miss Tanzania brand, but I could not proceed that way. I took my time, and I have great confidence in this transition.”
She added that her tenure was guided by the slogan “beauty is dignity", which she said helped uphold Tanzania’s image while still providing a platform for young women to grow and achieve greater opportunities.
“We carried the slogan ‘beauty is dignity', and we have truly upheld Tanzania’s image. But the platform still has room to nurture more young women who will go on to achieve even greater things. Today, history is being made in Tanzania,” she said.
According to Mwanukuzi, the handover reflects continuity in a long-running national institution. She noted that Miss Tanzania has undergone structured leadership transitions over the years, including its earlier stewardship by the late Hashim Lundenga, who managed the pageant from 1994 to 2018 before passing leadership to her.
The pageant, Miss Tanzania, has faced periods of silence, uncertainty and restructuring in recent years, with gaps in organisation and visibility prompting discussions about its stability and future direction.
Despite these challenges, the pageant remains a symbolic platform in Tanzania’s entertainment and cultural landscape, continuing to represent aspirations of young women across the country even during periods of transition.
With the latest transfer of ownership, Lamata Village Entertainment is expected to lead the next phase of the pageant, with expectations that the competition will evolve into a more dynamic and entertainment-driven platform.
