Dabilo Moses Takes Botswana’s Diamond Story to the Miss Universe Stage

Dabilo Moses is carrying more than a pageant sash as she heads toward the 75th Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico. The reigning Miss Universe Botswana titleholder is expected to represent her country while its supporters hope the international spotlight will showcase Botswana’s ambitions well beyond the contest itself. According to the Miss Universe Botswana Organisation, the event’s audience—estimated by the organisation at more than two billion viewers—offers a chance to promote the country’s tourism and investment prospects, as well as its diamond industry. The organisation says Botswana wants its diamonds seen not only as luxury goods, but as natural, traceable resources linked to the country’s development. “You buy a Botswana diamond, you fund education, healthcare, infrastructure development, and so on,” the organisation said, presenting the message it hopes the pageant will help carry to a global audience. Moses has already drawn attention through a feature called “Miss Universe Botswana Discovers Puerto Rico,” shared on the international Miss Universe social media platforms. The article reports that the feature received strong reactions and reviews compared with posts about several pageant participants, including contestants from African countries. It offers an encouraging early moment for Moses’s campaign, although the competition itself is still ahead. Botswana has had a Miss Universe winner before: Mpule Kwelagobe took the crown in 1999. That history adds an extra layer of expectation for the current representative, as supporters look to Moses to make an impression on the international stage. The 75th competition is scheduled to run from November 8 to 26, 2026. For Moses, the reported mission is to compete for the crown and bring attention to Botswana. The pageant could give the country a high-profile platform; whether it leads to a title or wider interest in its national story remains to be seen.