Luyanda Zuma

Biography

Luyanda Zuma (born 3 December 2001) is a South African actress, influencer and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned the first ever Miss Charm South Africa 2023. She 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.

== 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. She attended the 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. In April 2026, she joined Isitha: The Enemy season 4 as Dabulamanzi, powerful and troubled traditional healer. She was a host of Metro FM Music Awards 2026 for the black carpet show with Lamiez Holworthy.

== Endorsements == She was announced as brand ambassador for the sanitary brand Always, positioning her as a public figure for women's confidence and empowerment. In March 2026, she was appointed as the first Global Goodwill Ambassador for Women African Tourism Board (WATB).

== 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 ===