Luyanda Zuma

Luyanda Zuma is a South African actress, influencer and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned the first Miss Charm South Africa 2023 and represented South Africa in Vietnam and was placed in the Top 6.
She was participated in Miss South Africa 2022 where she was placed in the Top 10 and she is currently Miss South Africa 2025 1st Runner-Up. Beside being a beauty pageant titleholder, she has played starring role in Mzansi Magic notable series Shaka iLembe as Liyana and lead role teen drama Obstruction as Zenokuhle where she rose to prominence.

Life and career

Early life

Zuma was born and raised in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She grew up in a close knit family with three siblings, her mother is a primary school principal and her father works as a forensic investigator. From a young age, she showed interest in sports and participated in field hockey, and later represented KwaZulu-Natal in provincial hockey.
Zuma attended AFDA, The School for the Creative Economy in Johannesburg, where she pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Live Performance.

Career

Besides her pageantry career, Zuma is also an actress. In 2022, she made her television debut in the drama series Uzulu Nomhlaba as Zama. She rose to prominence after playing the lead role of Zenokuhle in a Mzansi Magic drama Obstruction. That same year, she appeared in the Showmax television series Forever Yena portraying the character Naomi.
In 2025, she later starred as Liyana in the popular cultural television series Shaka iLembe season 2. She also had a recurring role in the Showmax drama Adulting season 3 appearing as Mapaseka’s close friend. In October 2025, she bagged the starring role in a local drama series Levels as Captain/Pilot Mo while participating in 67th edition of Miss South Africa.

Endorsements

She was announced as brand ambassador for the sanitary brand Always, positioning her as a public figure for women’s confidence and empowerment.

Pageantry

Miss South Africa 2022

In 2022, Zuma began her beauty pageant career where she entered the 64th edition of the Miss South Africa pageant. She was selected as one of the Top 10 finalists on 13 June 2022. She represented KwaZulu-Natal hailing from Pietermaritzburg in the competition.

Miss Charm 2023

In 2023, Zuma represented South Africa at the international pageant Miss Charm 2023 held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She was designated as Miss Charm South Africa 2023 by the pageant's national organisers becoming the first South African beauty pageant to held the title. During the competition, she advanced into the Top 6 finalists.

Miss South Africa 2025

In 2025, Zuma returned to the Miss South Africa pageant, three years after her first appearance in 2022. Her entry video went viral with millions of views and likes all over the internet and social media platforms. She was officially announced as one of the Top 10 finalists on 16 September 2025. She entered the competition with a renewed sense of purpose and using the platform to uplift young people and communities. On the 25th October 2025, she was crowned the new Miss South Africa 2025 1st Runner-Up where by Qhawekazi Mazaleni was crowned the winner.

Controversy

After Zuma was crowned the new Miss South Africa 2025 first runner-up, the Miss South Africa Organisation warned the public about a scam using her name to solicit fake donations. A social media post falsely claimed to raise R20 000 on her behalf. She denied any involvement and urged her followers not to engage with the fraudulent campaign.