By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
Maëllys Ngo Mboui has brought a new dimension to the Miss Cameroon crown, becoming the first contestant representing the Cameroonian diaspora in France to win the national title in a pageant increasingly seeking to connect beauty, civic engagement and contemporary social issues.
The 20-year-old Franco-Cameroonian from Bamenda was crowned Miss Cameroon 2026 on September 19 in Yaoundé, emerging from a field of 27 contestants at the 19th edition of the competition. The ceremony was presided over by First Lady Chantal Biya and attended by several dignitaries.
Ngo Mboui competed as Miss Diaspora France while also representing Cameroon’s Northwest Region, giving her victory significance beyond the traditional pageant circuit. Organizers and supporters have described the result as recognition of the contribution of Cameroonians living abroad and a new chapter for the competition’s engagement with the diaspora.
Her background also sets her apart. Before taking the national crown, Ngo Mboui was crowned Miss Cameroon Diaspora France in March. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Management and Mathematics and Computer Science and has been involved in initiatives aimed at encouraging young women to pursue science and technology.
Among her projects is “Cameroonian Girls in STEM,” while in January she participated in a hackathon organized with Amazon Web Services in Bamenda. Her academic and technology-related activities now add another dimension to her responsibilities as Miss Cameroon.
The 2026 edition was held under the theme “Fighting Cybercrime,” placing a major social issue at the heart of the pageant. The choice gives Ngo Mboui’s technology background particular relevance as she begins a year in which she is expected to represent Cameroon at national and international events and support social and charitable initiatives.
At 1.88 metres tall and bilingual in French and English, Ngo Mboui is also expected to use her public profile to engage with young people and promote causes linked to her areas of interest. Her mandate comes at a time when cybercrime has become an increasingly prominent concern in Cameroon, making the pageant’s theme more closely tied to public awareness than in previous editions.
She succeeds Audrey Moutongo Black, who assumed the title after Josiane Harangada Golonga was dethroned by the Cameroon International Marketing and Communication Agency (COMICA) on February 25, 2026. COMICA cited repeated breaches of contractual obligations, including unexcused absences, disrespectful remarks and the unilateral cessation of activities associated with the title.
Ngo Mboui’s coronation therefore begins a new chapter for the competition, placing a young woman with a diaspora identity and a strong academic and technology profile at the centre of Cameroon’s national beauty platform.