Miss Universe Zimbabwe Hit By US Visa Ban, Stranded in South Africa
By Fanuel Viriri
Miss Universe Zimbabwe 2026, Roseanna Hall, is stranded in South Africa after her departure for the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico was delayed by US visa restrictions.
The pageant’s coronation night is set for November 24 at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, with contestants having started arriving on November 8 for registration and fittings.
The 34-year-old, in an Instagram video posted on Sunday, said she had spent the past week in South Africa trying to secure clearance.
“I have been in South Africa for the past week. Today was officially the day I was supposed to leave for Puerto Rico,” she said. “Unfortunately, due to the partial ban on Zimbabwe and other nations by the United States, we have been working back and forth to get my visa approved.”
Hall is affected by US Presidential Proclamation 10998, titled “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” which took effect on January 1, 2026.
Under the proclamation, the US Department of State fully or partially suspended visa issuance for nationals of 39 countries.
Zimbabwe is among 19 countries facing a *partial suspension*. The countries in this group are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
For Zimbabwean nationals, the partial suspension covers:
– B-1/B-2 visitor visas (business/tourism)
– F, M and J student and exchange visitor visas
– All immigrant visas
Applicants can still submit applications and attend interviews, but may be found ineligible for issuance or admission under the new rules. The proclamation does not apply to those who already held a valid US visa as of the effective date.
Hall said she was not alone, noting that Miss Universe Zambia, Mubanga Pamela Hatyoka, had also pulled out of this year’s competition over the same travel curbs.
“I am not alone in this predicament. Some of my African sisters are facing the same challenges. I know exactly what they are going through and truly empathise with them,” she said.
Despite months of preparation, Hall said efforts were underway to resolve the matter.
“The fight is not over. The Zimbabwean government, private individuals, key stakeholders and the Miss Universe Zimbabwe Organisation and board have been working tirelessly to help get this visa approved. I want to thank them for all their efforts so far,” she said.
She urged her supporters to remain hopeful.
“You have truly rallied behind me and supported me throughout this journey. For that, I am thankful from the bottom of my heart, which is why I keep pushing and fighting. Please keep the faith as the effort to get Zimbabwe to Puerto Rico continues. I am confident that God, who began a good work in me, will bring it to completion. After all the hard work and preparation over the past several months, I will not give up.”-Fanuel Viriri