Meriam Kaxuxwena, from school pageants to taking on the world…

Vibrant and energetic are the words used to best describe this young woman and if you’re from Namibia it is typically impossible to not have heard about her. Born October 29th, Meriam hails from a small town called Helao Nafidi in the northern part of Namibia. She describes her younger self as hyperactive child with an endless supply of energy. Growing up she looked a lot like a boy and that sometimes had the pupils and teachers confused as to whether she was really a girl or a boy. At age nine she moved to Windhoek and by then she had a great passion for dancing, created a group called sister Nana that specialized in kwasa-kwasa dance routines which she is still known for to this day.

In 2006, Meriam started high school at Augustineum secondary school and by then, she was already beginning to transform into the woman she is today. Having participated in pageants from an early age of 10 and bagging titles in both 2006 and 2007, one can undeniably say that she was destined for the modeling industry. After finishing high school in 2011, she decided to venture internationally as a catwalk model and as they say the rest is history.

The year 2014 definitely marked her breakthrough as she went from a small-time pageant girl to being a full-time model and taking the African continent by storm. From home country Namibia all the way to London, Meriam Kaxuxwena has seen it all and all that hard work and determination is surely what path the way for all her international success. Her most memorable event and making Namibia proud is when she took part in the Miss Tourism Universe pageant in Lebanon and came out the winner as Miss Africa 2014.

When asked about her inspiration, she boldly mentions Naomi Campbell whom she watched on TV and read about in magazines. She wishes to be just like her and considers her a role model. Interesting enough she prefers pageants over the runway and explains that pageants helped her gain the very noticeable confidence and communication skills which allows her to carry herself with pride. One can indeed say that she has been living a rather interesting life and doesn’t fall short of drama yes believe it or not, Meriam has been involved in numerous verbal altercations and even one that turned physical with yet another Namibian sweetheart Dillish Mathews, talk about controversy. However, the most admirable thing about her is the ability to block out all negativity, stand up to bullies and focus only on the good, which isn’t surprising seeing that she has survived this long in an industry known to be harsh and very demanding.

Always trying to challenge herself and put her best foot forth, she is the proud creator of a very successful lingerie and bikini line, with a fresh release of gym wear soon to follow. Apart from that she owns modeling agency and works hard to uplift young upcoming models. The industry is known for diversity and one has to be versatile so it comes as no surprise to know that our very own beauty queen has been filming professional commercials and growing her brand. With a following of over 182 000 thousand, Meriam is definitely one to keep an eye on. Based in the USA and occasionally visiting, she continues to grace the runway and participates in pageants all over the world spreading her reach as ambassador of our beautiful country and making our nation proud.