Tanzania has joined the Miss Afrikana International platform, with Tanzanian filmmaker and creative entrepreneur Leah Mwendamseke, popularly known as Lamata, appointed National Director of Miss Afrikana Tanzania.
The organisation announced the appointment on its Instagram page, welcoming Lamata and Tanzania to the platform and highlighting her more than a decade of experience in creative leadership, brand development, storytelling, production and talent development.
“We are proud to officially welcome Leah R. Mwendamseke as the National Director of Miss Afrikana Tanzania,” the organisation said.
Miss Afrikana International described Lamata as a creative leader and entrepreneur whose work has focused on connecting talent, culture and purpose. It also highlighted her role as founder and managing director of Lamata Village Entertainment, which develops film and television content and creates opportunities for Tanzanian creatives.
Lamata currently also leads the Miss Tanzania Organisation, after Lamata Village Entertainment took over the rights to run the national pageant from Basila Mwanukuzi in April 2026. At the time, Lamata said the new management planned to give the competition a fresh look and greater scale, including a three-year contract for the eventual Miss Tanzania winner.
Her latest appointment now gives Tanzania another international pageant platform, with Miss Afrikana International focusing specifically on women of African descent and their cultural identity, leadership and representation.
“As National Director of Miss Afrikana Tanzania, she will lead our mission of celebrating and empowering women of African descent while creating opportunities for Tanzanian women to proudly represent their heritage, identity, culture, and country on the international stage,” the organisation said.
Miss Afrikana has also positioned itself as more than a traditional beauty competition. In a recent Instagram post, the organisation described the initiative as “not just a pageant; it is a movement” aimed at celebrating women of African descent and creating opportunities for them.
The platform is building toward its inaugural international competition, bringing together representatives from Africa and the wider African diaspora. Its emphasis extends beyond the competition itself to areas including cultural pride, leadership, advocacy and opportunities for women.
For Tanzania, the appointment comes as the local pageant industry enters a period of change. Lamata's simultaneous leadership roles in Miss Tanzania and Miss Afrikana Tanzania put her at the centre of two different pageant platforms, each with its own international pathway.
Lamata's next task will be to establish the Tanzanian Miss Afrikana platform and identify the woman who will carry the country's identity, culture and heritage onto the international stage.
