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NO. 18— JAN/DEC- 2022
CONT E NT
MAXHOSA: AFRICAN LUXURY REDEFINED
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RICH MNISI PARTNERS WITH JOHNNIE WALKER TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY 20-33 WITCHERY STYLE COLLECTIVE : THEMBISO MAGAJANA 34-43 KEFILWE MABOTE LAUNCHES FEYTH: A BESPOKE WOMEN’S SUITS BRAND 44-47 WITCHERY STYLE COLLECTIVE: NOMNDENI MDAKHI 48-59 MAKAMO FINALLY GETS WHAT HE DESERVES
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NIKIWE DLOVA: CELEBRATING CULTURE THROUGH THE ART OF HAIR 70-75 REALNESS AND FANTASY WITH PONAHALO MOJAPELO 76-81 THE BIRTH OF THE COOL SAM SONIC
Publisher: Caron Williams Editor: Sizwe Shabalala
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THE THRONE MAGAZINE info@thethrone.co.za www.thethrone.co.za
Cover Star: Rich Mnisi Photographer: Mishaal Gangaram
Graphic Designer Khotso Moloi
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FA S HION
MAXHOSA: AFRICAN LUXURY REDEFINED Words By KOJO BAFFOE
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A Luxury Brand that is Proudly African With a Global Footprint. 8
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alking to Laduma Ngxokolo, the first thing that pops into my mind is Steve Jobs’ words, namely, "You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." He is sitting in his car, somewhere in Joburg’s inner city, having stopped to chat via video call. Even amidst a global pandemic that has changed the way we live, the way we work and the way we create, this is very much a normal workday, which starts at 09:00 am and ends at midnight. He describes a day in his life, “a bit of driving into dingy places around town looking for and visiting suppliers, getting raw material, and doing research. Most of my days also involve running around the factory and having meetings with my staff.” Maxhosa now has over 65 employees, all with urgent departmental matters that they want addressed. I try to spend more time with the design team because we are more of a designfocused company.” THE BIRTH OF MAXHOSA Laduma, while still early in his journey, has already come a long way from Port Elizabeth now Gqeberha - and the Nelson Mandela University where the idea for Maxhosa was born while he was studying towards a BTech. Growing up in a home where fashion and textile design was the norm, he was struck by how the wardrobe for Xhosa initiates coming home was based on foreign brands and, therefore, not culturally relevant. Tapping into what surrounded him, in terms of the aesthetic that makes AmaXhosa different, beadwork
stood out and that is where he drew his inspiration from. The vision was to create a luxury brand that reflected his people, that confronted and contributed to the challenge of job scarcity, particularly within the textile and clothing industry, and became a reference point or benchmark for Africans, in the diaspora and at home. Laduma has maintained that vision and been deliberate about the dots, even if connecting them is something that is done with hindsight, even when there weren’t many examples of luxury African brands when he launched. He says, “Curio brands were popular in the beginning stages of Maxhosa. In those days, when you mentioned something African, customers would think that by default, you are trying to venture into the curio market. I have worked to be consistent in our messaging and our positioning, explaining to our customers that we are building a luxury brand that is proudly African with a global footprint.” BRANCHING OUT Another way that Laduma has done this is through both the expansion of product lines and collaborations with other luxury brands, which has included everything from designing packaging for Chivas Regal to working on chocolates and packaging with Magnum. “I won’t lie, I didn’t anticipate how we would diversify. I thought we’d only do high fashion, focused on menswear but, over the years, I realised that we have unique DNA that can be interpreted into various other products. The big jump happened when I started getting demand from women who felt our flamboyant, colourful aesthetic for womenswear, which I launched in 2014. For those who were limited by the pricing of our clothing, I started socks, and later ready-to-wear, as an entry point
into the brand.” For the higher end of Maxhosa’s customer community, Laduma realised that there was a market for more bespoke, one-of-one pieces and, as a result, expanded into the rugs, throws, wallpaper and the like. As a distinctive brand based on culture with a bold and recognisable DNA, there are no limits to the spaces that Maxhosa can play in, whether it is clothing, homeware or beachwear. And, while he has done 99% of the design work, in the last six months, he has been developing a design team of young fresh minds who are learning how to create design ideas that fit into the ethos of the brand. A team that has learnt that, for the sake of that ethos, products are built to last. He says, “we don't instantly think about an idea and the next morning we do it. We prototype it and test it for a while to make sure the specs are up to scratch and satisfy the value that customers expect. Once we are 100% confident, we go to market.” This is tied to how Laduma defines luxury which is “something that is extraordinary, that is well thought through and well designed. It is something that is made with foresight, that is made to last and that makes the consumer feel special.” He goes on to say, “The word ‘exclusive’ is overplayed because it is divorced from the reality that we live in. For example, what is exclusive to Louis Vuitton, may not be exclusive to me. We live in a connected world. If they release 1000 units of one piece and, because I have a smaller reach, release 10 or 20 pieces, we can both call our products ‘exclusive’. At the end of the day, we sell things to satisfy the customer. If the customer feels exclusive in it, it fits into my definition of luxury.”
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MAXHOSA, THE BRAND Clarity of vision and an intimate understanding of who Maxhosa is as a brand is critical. In Laduma’s words, “At the heart of the strategy and approach is innovation and precision. We must carve spaces and walk roads that are less travelled. We must make a mark. Maxhosa is an innovative brand. It is a brand that is bold, that is friendly, that is humble, it is a brand that is an advocate of culture and, therefore, whichever we touch, those characteristics have to show. It has to be explicit, and it has to be instant regardless of what we do, whether it's a marketing strategy, a goodwill campaign, a show or our sales strategy. I believe that customers buy association, not just products, and buy into the personality and the team behind the brand.” This also carries over into who stocks Maxhosa and when and where to open flagship shops. While they receive numerous requests from across the world, the two non-negotiables are the shop fittings in any boutique that wants to carry Maxhosa and how customers are treated in the shop, which Laduma
does extensive research on, before agreeing. At the same time, there are minimum order quantities to ensure that stores aren’t stocking limited quantities of a few items, which can impact customers’ perceptions of the brand. In terms of which territories to add flagship stores, it is driven by demand. Laduma explains, “In Cape Town, we had an established clientele who purchased from a retailer there, but we were increasingly getting complaints that they don’t have the levels of inventory that we have in Joburg. We decided it was time to open a flagship store there, as a result.” He adds, “We are now getting the same demand from customers in New York as well as in countries across the continent. We are doing research, building relationships and waiting for the right time. We don't want to open up a store and then close it after a couple of years. We want to be there forever.” COVID-19, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM As we all have, globally, the
COVID-19 pandemic has forced Laduma to revisit elements of the Maxhosa strategy, particularly the online strategy, both from a human resource and from a marketing and retail perspective. With the team working from home more, the management of human resources has had to switch to an app. Performance is monitored in this way, including reporting, to-do lists and targets. They have also had to put more attention into the online store and with digital platforms, including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. “We have had to become better at selling people content. When factories and stores closed, the only thing that we could sell was that we were capable of making this type of jersey in this style. You pay us and we’ll deliver to you within a month. Imagine sitting in a position where people have paid you a lot of money but all you have been selling them are images because you don’t have stock.” The third element to this revised strategy was solidifying business-to-business partnerships especially at a time when so much is happening in
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the world, beyond COVID-19. As a cultural brand, Maxhosa is vested in movements such as Black Lives Matter, the spike in overt racism and the needs of small Black business. Partnering with like-minded businesses has become even more imperative, for Laduma, in this moment in history. NO ONE IS AN ISLAND It is that understanding of a brand as a part of something larger than simply making profits that prompted Laduma, with two close friends – artist Nelson Makamo and DJ Black Coffee – to start F.A.M Academy. He says of the two, “We exchange ideas. We exchange business relationships. If I am wondering how to approach a certain request of collaboration, I can call Nelson or Black Coffee or their teams for advice. We also bought a building where we house our studios. It made better business sense to be settling a mortgage instead of paying rent for the next ten years on a property we won’t own.” Laduma also has relationships
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in various parts of the world, people and brands that have a commonality of spirit and purpose; they help each other out in whatever way possible whether it is suppliers, access to markets or warehousing. With all the things that Laduma has to keep a handle on, I wonder how he can constantly stay inspired personally and as a designer. His response is, “I am forced to, in a way, refresh myself every 6 months. In this industry, there is the expectation that we have a new collection every season. I try to research the latest trends. I explore the world of beadwork, including exploring anthropological references from other cultures, primarily from across the continent. I also try to get out of my comfort zone by going out, interacting with customers socially and looking at Maxhosa from the outside in. Every time I connect with customers, I get insights into what it is that works and doesn’t work. Fortunately, 99% of the time, it is good things.” This unwillingness to rest on his laurels is also driving
Laduma’s plans for Maxhosa in the next decade. This entails fully submerging the brand in the lifestyle space in a way that is unpredictable yet always true to it, whether it is swimming pool tiles, bathroom tiles and wallpaper to hotel and luxury yacht interiors. And, it is subtle, but in the last year or so, the brand went from being Maxhosa by Laduma to, simply, Maxhosa Africa. For Laduma, “the brand must take precedence. My job is to go from entrepreneur to businessman; that is what will take the business to the next level. I have learned that a human being is not an everlasting asset of the business, the brand is. If I die today, the brand must live on. It is about being less emotional but still sentimental about the brand”. There is no doubt that Laduma is building a brand with a solid foundation which goes a long way in ensuring longevity. Maxhosa is an African luxury brand that is redefining how we view luxury from our perspective, as Africans.
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RICH MNISI PARTNERS WITH JOHNNIE WALKER TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY Words by Sizwe Shabalala
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ich Mnisi is regarded as one of the most exciting contemporary voices in the fashion industry on the African continent. Through the RICH MNISI brand and his partnership with Johnnie Walker, the Johannesburg-born designer is making sure that he constantly finding ways to disrupt the norm in order to make space for new ideas to exist and push the culture forward. When he reflects on some of his earliest memories with fashion, he recalls a period in his life where he would watch his sister experiment with all kinds of clothes as a way of expressing herself and that was around the same time the seeds for his passion for fashion were planted. “It wasn’t until I was in Grade 11, when a fashion school came to our high school for career day that I was exposed to the fashion industry and the idea of fashion being an actual career for myself.” The name, Rich Mnisi is now synonymous with words such as, Brave, Trailblazing, Bold and kids growing up today in the world of social media have access to him for inspiration. However, growing up, Rich himself says he didn’t exactly have direct role models that were instrumental in helping him find his voice or inspire him to be brave
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in his truth the same way he is now that to young kids all over the world. “Pop culture definitely played a big role later on in my life. I remember how inspired I was by the likes of Lady Gaga and it was during those times that I started to feel inspired and empowered to be confident and brave in my truth and who I am.” Outside of the fashion and beauty industry, his creations are largely inspired by his family’s rich culture and stories. That is his core inspiration that informs how he creates. “Everything is based around my family and so, it’s all about taking stories and inspiration from them directly in terms of how they dress or just express themselves from a general point of view. It becomes a lot easier for me because I speak from a lived experience, which then makes it very personal.”
ple, us launching the online store was because we needed a response to COVID and how the pandemic had affected our business and now that online platform has become an essential part of our business. Letting each moment inform our next decision, has helped a lot, especially in this era of the internet, it’s always good to stay on the pulse.” The idea of keeping an open mind and being okay with evolving is something that Rich has made sure his brand encompasses wholeheartedly. He admits that even his entrepreneurial motivations have evolved over time.
The RICH MNISI brand, he says, was started right after graduating and, at the time, there were a lot of things he didn’t know about the industry and so, everyday presented itself with an opportunity to learn. He admits that, even to this day, he is still constantly learning and finding new ways to get better.
“When I first started the brand, it was about me showing my talent. However, when I started making progress in the fashion industry, the focus shifted and it became about the people I work with and the importance of creating jobs. That’s why I stay in this country and still produce my work in this country because I feel that there is so much that needs to be done, especially when you look at our unemployment rate issue that needs to be addressed urgently. Success for me now is the number of people we get to work with and how that changes their lives as well so they can better their own situations and those around them.”
“The one thing I appreciate about how I do things is that I let the brand inform my decisions. For exam-
From being crowned as the African Fashion International Young designer at Mercedes Benz Fashion
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“I do something and then I move on. I don’t let those moments inform how I move forward and I believe that approach keeps me focused. That’s how I approach life. I think sometimes people get clouded by their moments of success.” The more popular his name grows; the more other brands want to associate with him. Johnnie Walker is one of those brands that seems to have found the perfect partnership in Rich Mnisi. Johnnie Walker recently announced their new Walkers Programme, designed to lead cultural experiences and reel in consumers from diverse backgrounds to experience the world of Walker like never before. “My relationship with Johnnie Walker started about 3 years ago. I used to look at them as just another brand but over the years we’ve developed
such great connection and relationship, especially because we believe in the same things.” With inclusion and diversity at the heart of the Walkers Programme, Johnnie Walker is holding nothing back to break down barriers and stereotypes that stand between a fully inclusive world with equal opportunities, acceptance and appreciation for all beyond race, gender, romantic patterns and creed. With the intention of further breaking down cultural norms to ensure that everyone has the space they so rightly deserve by encouraging a bigger and bolder lifestyle, it makes sense why Johnnie Walker would, once again, align with Rich Mnisi to continue the journey to change and challenge the world of whisky. “They’ve accepted me for what I am. It has now become a personal thing because they support my community. For a whiskey brand, I find them extremely progressive, especially when it comes to them representing queer bodies in a whiskey space, which is unusual. It’s almost unheard of.” Through this partnership, the Johnnie Walker aims to encourage South Africans to find their voice through freedom of expression without fear of prejudice the same way the Walkers found theirs.
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Week Africa a few years ago, to showcasing his collection at the Design Indaba expo in 2015 and to being part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 class of 2019, Rich has been on quite the inspiring journey thus far. His work has even been featured on internationally recognized platforms such as, ELLE, GQ, Dazed and Confused. His work has even found its way to Beyonce but Rich admits that he tries to not dwell too much on these achievements.
gradual changes and steps made towards being a more inclusive society but we aren’t fully there yet. While this partnership with Johnnie Walker is pivotal in changing the narrative within society, Rich admits that there’s still a lot of work to be done and other brands still have a very long way to go. “I would really like to see brands be more open-minded and engaging with us more. What I love about some of my meetings at Johnnie Walker is that they’re always willing to ask more questions than they have answers. I would like to see brands be more aware and conscious to the fact that they don’t know everything and it’s okay to let go of old ways because so many of the things we were taught growing up are flawed. It’s about accepting new information, especially when it comes to someone telling you how they feel because how someone feels isn’t something that can be debated.” “We’re in a time right now where, it is important for African artists to speak for their heritage because we have an opportunity to rewrite our own history and that’s why I am very intentional with how I position and speak on the Rich Mnisi brand because I want it to one day be as great as all the other brands that come from families of great heritage and legacy.”
Every day we are seeing
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WITCHERY STYLE COLLECTIVE : THEMBISO MAGAJANA Words by Sizwe Shabalala
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hembiso Magajana, Founder of Social Coding, is a young and exciting voice in the Tech industry. For the last 5 years or so, Thembiso has been relentless when it comes to using her platform to empower the Youth of South Africa through the use of technology. In 2020, she was recognised as one of South Africa's most influential youth. Coming from an investment banking background, working in tech was not always the plan for Thembiso. In fact, according to her, it was her niece that sparked the desire to journey into tech when her niece, who was just 7 years old at the time, revealed that she wanted to be a creator and innovator like Steve Jobs. “Just to see that passion at such a young age, my thought was: how do I help you do that? How do I help you achieve that? By learning how to code. I started the deep dive trying to find out what tech and coding was about. It was very disheartening to see that there weren’t many women, black women in particular, in that space. I didn’t want my niece to go into a space that didn’t have representation. So, Social Coding actually started with the idea of creating a safe space for young girls to see themselves in this industry.” Like any other new journey in life, Thembiso’s transition from Finance to Tech was not without its challenges. People seem to have this preconceived idea of what people in Tech look like and for Thembiso, she wanted to challenge those stereotypes headon. She likes the idea of being a representation for women in Tech who can have their hair done, nails done and just feel beautiful in whatever they are wearing. Clothes are the first thing people notice about you when they meet you in person, before you even get to speak to them.
“What I love about this particular collection from Witchery is the flow. There’s nothing restrictive of it. I feel powerful but at the same time, because of the amazing colours, I feel playful. It’s strong but it’s not restrictive. I like the fact that when I am wearing these clothes, I feel confident, in control and playful all at once — I feel like myself.” Beyond just the physical appearance stereotypes of people in Tech, Thembiso is aware that this industry is still a male-dominated industry and she says, it was a challenge to find likeminded women that would champion the cause when she first started this journey. Like most startups, money is an essential part of the business and for Thembiso, when she started Social Coding, one of the most noticeable challenges for her was that of funding. “It was a great challenge securing funding. You have to do this sing-and-dance from a poverty perspective and I wanted to change the narrative. Instead of looking at it as a donation, look at it as enabling.” When speaking about what Social Coding actually is, Thembiso speaks of it with the same excitement and spark one would if they were speaking about their own baby, their pride and joy. “Social Coding is non-profit digital skills company that focuses on empowering rural communities through digital skills training. Our training incorporates things such as coding and robotics, with the intention of figuring out how to elevate people using technology in education and employment. Social Coding is about providing opportunity and equity but most importantly, Social Coding is about digital parity in rural communities.” Social Coding has three flagship programs that are focused on
rural community empowerment. The first one is the Junior Pioneers Program and it is made specifically for learners between Grade 8 and 9. “Statics have shown that twelve out of every twenty learners don’t choose pure Maths in Grade 10. So, intervention at Matric level is too late. We need to get them excited about Maths in Grade 8 and Grade 9. So, the Junior Pioneers program is about making Maths fun and exciting and actually influencing young learners to choose pure Maths in Grade Ten.” The second program in the organisation is called the Next Generation Program, which focuses on getting students between Grade 10 and 12 from rural communities into university. “When you look at rural communities in general, there are so many barriers to access education. These kids have to travel long distances to the nearest Internet cafe and even there, they don’t know how to use a computer. So, how do we expect them to get into university when they can’t even apply in the first place?” Beyond just empowering students with computer literacy, they introduce them to Coding, System Information, as well as Artificial Intelligence. Most importantly, the program tries to put the students in the best positions to get bursaries and scholarships from the Partners and even possible employment. The third program in this empowerment chain is the Untapped Program, which Thembiso describes as a program aimed at addressing the issue of unemployment for rural community members between the ages of 18 and 34. “I believe that Social Coding is meant to be by the people for the people so, when we go into rural communities, we actually train unemployed youth to become the facilitators of our Junior Pioneers Program and Next
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THEMBISO MAGA JANA
Styled by WITCHERY
" CLOT HE S AR E S U P P OS ED TO E NHANCE Y OUR CH ARAC TE R A ND WI TH TH I S C OL L ECTION, I FE E L C OM F OR T ABLE AND C ON F I D ENT.”
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“ YOU NE E D T O ME E T P E OP L E A T A P OI NT OF TH E I R N E E D A N D N OT Y OU R W ANT. YOU N E E D T O U N D E R S T A N D THAT TH I S I S N OT A BO U T Y OU A N D S O, TH E FI R S T S T E P I N C R E A T I N G A S A F E S PAC E I S L I S T E N I N G. ” Generation Program. We don’t come with our own trainers. We go into the communities, we build infrastructures, we train and equip the people because it’s for the community, by the community.” As a self-described Inclusion Activist and Social Entrepreneur, for Thembiso, it means no child gets left behind. Inclusion is at the heart of Social Coding and they make it their priority to create a safe space for kids to thrive in. “What do the people need? How are they feeling? In my rural communities, no one is trying to be the next Facebook or Google, they just want to learn how to switch on a computer or learn how to do basic searches on Google. They want to learn how to use this technology in order to leverage it to find jobs. So, I had to learn early on to just shut up and listen.” Since its inception just over five years ago, Thembiso and her team at Social Coding have had more than six-thousand beneficiaries. This is a huge milestone because the communities in which Social Coding has been working are historically marginalized communities. Another noticeable achievement, she says, has been seeing 455 of their students matriculate with 7 Distinctions and above. When the pandemic brought
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the world to a halt in 2019, the inequalities of the country and the world at large, were put under a magnifying glass. When lockdown happened, some schools were able to pivot to online learning but for schools in rural communities, they did not have the means to do the same. Social Coding had 47 matric students fail last year and have had to repeat this year. “We always thought we could be casual in our approach and rollout our programs gradually but COVID taught me that there is no time. We have to prioritise digital inclusion right now because there are people’s lives on the brink of change and it’s not about you right now but those that come after you.” “What do the people need? How are they feeling? In my rural communities, no one is trying to be the next Facebook or Google, they just want to learn how to switch on a computer or learn how to do basic searches on Google. They want to learn how to use this technology in order to leverage it to find jobs. So, I had to learn early on to just shut up and listen.” Since its inception just over five years ago, Thembiso and her team at Social Coding have had more than six-thousand beneficiaries. This is a huge milestone because the communities in which Social Coding has been working
are historically marginalized communities. Another noticeable achievement, she says, has been seeing 455 of their students matriculate with 7 Distinctions and above. When the pandemic brought the world to a halt in 2019, the inequalities of the country and the world at large, were put under a magnifying glass. When lockdown happened, some schools were able to pivot to online learning but for schools in rural communities, they did not have the means to do the same. Social Coding had 47 matric students fail last year and have had to repeat this year. “We always thought we could be casual in our approach and rollout our programs gradually but COVID taught me that there is no time. We have to prioritise digital inclusion right now because there are people’s lives on the brink of change and it’s not about you right now but those that come after you.” All of this has not been without great sacrifice for Thembiso but she finds fulfillment when she sees tangible results from the learners. “These are kids who come from backgrounds where, if you can’t speak English fluently, it is seen as a lack of intelligence. Coding is not language except for computer language. One of the first things
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THEMBISO MAGA JANA
Witchery X The Throne
“ I W OU L D ALS O L I K E T O S E E M OR E BL AC K W OM EN I N P OS I TI ONS OF D E C I S I ON MAK ING.”
they teach you is how to make your computer say, ‘Hello World.’ There is no pressure for them to be fluent in the English language per se. Seeing their faces light up when they successfully code their first HTML is one of the most fulfilling things about this job.” Being recognised as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, A TEDx Speaker and as well as being the recipient of the Margaret Hirsch Heroine Award 2017, Thembiso is determined to continue inspiring young women across the country and beyond. Not only is she empowering young women to take up space, she is also
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teaching them how to make space for the next young girl because, for her, no child is left behind. “I have always been passionate about community. I want the people that I serve to feel seen, I want them to feel like they belong. I want these kids to feel valued and be unapologetic about taking up space. When they find an opportunity to be heard, I make sure their voices are amplified.” Even within her own personal capacity, she has become a lot more aggressive when it comes to pursuing funds and creating multiple revenue streams for the
organisation. She understands that she cannot rely on donor funding alone because if donor funding were to dry out, the beneficiaries would be affected. “I treat Social Coding like a trust fund baby. I open up accounts for it, I want my business to go to private school and this kind of thinking is part of what ensures that I am savvy with the money we have at our disposal to change lives.” There is an African proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Thembiso has submitted to this idea and recognizes it as one of the
noticeable factors she can pinpoint as the main reason for her success on this journey so far. “If you go to rural communities, you find that there is a network of women that, even though they’re not the wealthiest or most educated, they are always ready to teach the next generation and impart wisdom. Mothers know the importance of education and this is why when we first come into communities, we approach the mothers first so we can get their support in order for us to run successful programs in these communities. Our success has been at the hands of black women
who want more for their children.” Even though she was able to use her finance background as a springboard to start this journey, Thembiso is fully aware that not everyone has been as fortunate as her. “We tend to tokenize women in this space. We give them magazine covers, speakers’ events but we don’t put them in decisionmaking positions where they can effectively create change.”
in the industry, the better the chances of seeing these changes. She says she will continue the fight and continue empowering young women because this dream goes beyond her. “It is important to understand that the purpose is bigger than me. I remind myself every day to remain obedient to the vision and be obedient to the purpose because on the other side of that obedience is someone else’s blessing.”
She believes that with better pay and more men in positions of power advocating for women
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KEFILWE MABOTE LAUNCHES FEYTH: A BESPOKE WOMEN’S SUITS BRAND Words by Sizwe Shabalala
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ulti-award-winning Digital Media Influencer, author, residential properties developer and now with a brand-new venture specialising in designing bespoke luxury women’s suits using the best quality craftsmanship, Kefilwe Mabote is showing no signs of slowing down as an entrepreneur. When speaking about the inspiration behind the brand name, Kefilwe says it is tied to her identity.
to the vast competition we have in the fast fashion and counterfeit materials market. This demand makes it seemingly impossible for one to penetrate the market at the proposed “luxury” price. International companies, particularly those creating bespoke general wear and formal wear, always cater to European figures and neglect the African market they penetrate.”
“My full name is Kefilwe Faith Mabote, so it’s a different take on my middle name but also a reflection of the faith that I have in both God and life. My faith has kept me afloat when the world turned its back on me. It has been the foundation for the space I’m currently in as it relates to my work and life. Growing the brand FEYTH is the epitome of believing and going after my wildest dreams. My name carries so much weight and I am grateful to be living in its testimony.”
The idea for FEYTH is to cater to the African market and provide sound intersectionality for African figures within the bespoke fashion standards, which in the suit-making and tailoring business is centered on European expertise. This has been one of the first few small businesses to cater to this market. According to Kefilwe, the target market for the brand is, successful, professional, and driven women who want to exude power and class whilst still maintaining a beautiful sense of femininity.
Like many forward-thinking entrepreneurs, Kefilwe saw a gap in the market and decided to take the opportunity presented to her. Having always strived for good quality products, clothes included, she says she noticed that the luxury brands in South Africa do not have professionally and expertly crafted suits.
“FEYTH is for decision-makers and game-changers. We cater to women with a taste for quality suits. We aim to dress successful woman who want an outfit to speak for them before they do. An expertly crafted suit is a mood and confidence booster and what we hope to achieve is to empower women in giving them the right outfit fit for the occasion.”
“I believe this lack can be attributed In essence, FEYTH is a sustainable
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fashion-centred enterprise and for this, they use expert Italian craftsmanship with the finest Scabal materials in manufacturing and delivering bespoke suits. The Scabalcloth-making process is a very intricate and delicate process that has been quite innovative in how they source and manufacture their cloths over the years. The intricate weaving process and made-to-measure ethos ensure no wastage and cut down on wastage. By using natural materials in the manufacturing process, harmful impact to the environment is eliminated.
been quite challenging, but I’ve learned that thorough research and preparation lead to success. There’s a saying that goes: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” and I want everything I do to be a success. It is these aspects that have been a bit of a hurdle but outside of that, this has yielded quite a good return on investment on my part.”
Like any business, especially in this economy, success is at the forefront of everything and every business defines success differently. One of the measurements of success for the FEYTH brand is public reception and “Scabal’s superb quality makes it interest in what they are offering. If evident that the finished product it is a positive response and they’ve is made to order and is bespoke. garnered attention, then they know It is important for us to go down that there is a demand for their this path as a brand. We are not product. Secondly, they look at sales. about quantity but rather quality. By positioning ourselves as a “The quantitative measure of how sustainable fashion brand, the well we’re doing is crucial. Thirdly, we consumer knows that their suit is look at returning clients. Customer made to order and associated with retention is very important. Lastly, a manufacturing process that cares reviews. What is the word on the for the environment. With this effort street? Do our products come we hope to be placed top of mind highly recommended? What is in the market above other luxury the language associated with my brands in the suit-making business.” brand? This is what I use to measure the success of my business.” While there have been many positives for the FEYTH brand since “I would love for my brand to its inception, Kefilwe says this has compete with international and not been without a few challenges well-known luxury brands such along the way. As someone who as Versace, Gucci, and Salvatore has always been meticulous, paying Ferragamo in the suit-making attention to even the smallest business. The Italian way of making details and making sure that every clothes is extremely unique and their part of the business is taken care expert craftsmanship is unrivaled. of remains very important to her. I hope to scale up and penetrate the African market and greater “The biggest challenge has been international markets without scaling up my enterprise. This of compromising on quality and style. course includes noting whom to It would be such an honour to dress work with and discerning who is even more prolific individuals and competent in what they do. The have a well-known and recognised selection process for my staff, brand globally. That’s the vision!” designers, and manufacturers has
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WITCHERY STYLE COLLECTIVE: NOMNDENI MDAKHI Words by Sizwe Shabalala
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“I LOVE HOW THE CLOTHING IS SO DREAMY. IT TRANSPORTS YOU TO A WORLD OF EASE.” 50
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omndeni Mdakhi is the Founder of Agenda Women and self-proclaimed Impact Entrepreneur. As an Impact Entrepreneur, she believes that affecting change should always be at the forefront of business. While it could be said that, for some people, it might not be as transparent that in the past, people did business primarily for profitability. However, she believes that we are now in an era where businesses understand the importance of purpose as well. For Nomndeni, the change in mindset of challenging herself to find ways to be more impactful in her work has been a natural evolution. “I recognise that it’s a privilege to have the freedom to think about impact and not necessarily just your profit, but it’s such an important part of my work. When you are privileged, you have to be willing and open to do hard things; you have to solve the hard problems. So, calling myself an Impact Entrepreneur comes from this place of thinking where I recognise that I am not as disadvantaged as a lot of people. Even though I have my share of challenges I face every day, I sit in a position where I can really be thorough in thinking about how my work can leave a mark in the universe.” It can often seem like businesses don’t work in a way in which impact and profitability can coexist. But, as far as Nomndeni is concerned, that is generally how business works. She believes that the businesses that are becoming profitable are, in fact, impactful businesses. "Our consumers don’t only want to buy products, they also want to contribute to changing the world. So, when we position our
businesses in a way that helps them be better, we actually stand a better chance of being profitable. It’s not one or the other. In fact, when you run a company that considers how people live, that’s when they will support you. When you are purposeful in the work that you do, people gravitate towards that.” Agenda Women was born through this burning desire to impact and empower women. Essentially, Agenda Women is a women-focused online platform built for the modern woman looking for content and community to help them navigate the evolving dynamics of being a working woman through the community’s shared experiences. The business pillars for Agenda Women include, Content, Publishing, and Enterprise Development. According to Nomndeni, they also have plans to include Retail in the near future. “Ultimately, our purpose is to give African women the confidence to own their future. So, even when we think about the content we want to produce or anything else by Agenda Women, we are constantly asking the question: how does this help women become more confident? Whether that’s exposing them to resources and tools or to financial education to help them become financially literate, we are always thinking about ways to use our platform to bring everyone together with the purpose of collaboration.” “Through collaboration, we can really dig deep and develop effective ways for women to gain economic independence. At Agenda Women, we believe that putting money into women’s pockets will shift how society looks and how the world looks.”
“Our mission is to create an ecosystem that churns out successful women through a model that’s holistically empowering. Our vision is that, by 2030, every brand wanting to target women as an audience, looks to us for partnership.” The idea is to give women the confidence to own their future, and to achieve this, the organisation looked into what that would entail. Nomndeni says that the content pillars of Agenda Women are informed by a study that investigated what actually affects women’s confidence or what contributes to low-self-esteem. “The study revealed that some of the factors include, financial autonomy: women feeling like if they don’t have money; they don’t feel like they can show up as themselves.” “Secondly, social networks and connections: We are generally mostly influenced by the conversation we have with the people around us. As such, Agenda Women hosts various events to bring likeminded women together. It’s about intentionally building that ecosystem. Thirdly, freedom of thought: Women wanting to just express themselves without feeling like they are being policed. Fourth, accessibility and visibility: Women say if they don’t see other women that look like them being successful, they will likely not attempt that journey themselves. The last one is body autonomy: Women saying society polices women’s bodies so much, we often have to think about the entire world before we think about ourselves.” Speaking of how women see
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"BUSINESSES THAT THINK ABOUT PURPOSE AND SUSTAINABILITY ARE THE ONES WITH A BETTER CHANCE OF BEING IMPACTFUL.”
NOMNDENI MDAKHI
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Styled by WITCHERY
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themselves, Nomndeni expressed the importance of finding confidence in how you look. The slogan for Agenda Women is: Working smart and living well. According to Nomndeni, this slogan applies perfectly to this Witchery collection because not only does it give her the confidence to feel smart but it helps her feel comfortable. “I am a big believer in that duality because women are not just one thing. I’m a mom, an entrepreneur, andI can be someone’s partner. In all of these different roles, I show up as a different version of myself and my clothes should carry the same energy. I will go into my wardrobe
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and select different looks from the collection for the different roles I take on in my daily life. As entrepreneurs, we are constantly thinking about the future, thinking about salaries and I just love that the Witchery collection has a bit of, ‘I can empower you but let's also have fun!’” Ultimately, a lot of the work done by Agenda Women is centred on addressing questions on attaining their purpose and creating a replicable model of success. One of the ways they are doing this is through their recent Agenda Women Summit, which brings women together to share, collaborate and empower.
“The feedback for our recent summit has been amazing. I received a number of calls and emails from people about the excellence of the execution of the event and the quality of the content. From the back-end, when we looked at our statistics, everything was positive. We saw the possibility for the growth of the brand. This positive feedback tells us that people are hungry for this kind of content, and if it’s packaged well, they buy into it. The authenticity and trust we have built with our audience are what keep us going. “There is so much intentionality in what we do and clarity around the results we want to get, to the
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point where everything is built and curated for us to be in the best position to get those results.” When Nomndeni started Agenda Women just a few years ago, it was originally through her events series, known as Edits Talks at the time. It was through noticing a gap and being aware of what women needed, that she eventually transformed Edits Talks into Agenda Women. There have been some noticeable achievements and milestones for Agenda Women since its inception, including the opportunity to host the event in Ghana in 2022. “I am really thrilled with the interest that [potential] corporate partners have had in the brand. In the same way that financial autonomy is something that we hold so dear as a brand, it is also
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crucial for us to highlight our success from a financial point of view. If we don’t do that, it will not compel women to quantify their success in that way, in addition to all the other ways they consider to be successful.” According to Nomndeni, the interest they’ve been getting from brands has also been a noticeable milestone. As it is not easy to get the attention of those brands, building a business to the point where brands have become particularly interested in what they have to say has been a big achievement for the company. While Agenda Women is seeing some well-deserved success right now, Nomndeni defines success in her personal life slightly differently. According to her, it’s about finding ways
to create harmony between her professional work and her personal wellness. “The privilege of working in a space where I can be impactful but also make money while doing it is what I consider to be a success in my life.” “So much of our history as a people has been so traumatic that often the culture of labouring is glorified. There is nothing wrong with labouring, but one must recognise that labouring doesn’t always translate to wealth. So, the question becomes: how do we become wealthy enough to do the work that we need to do to be impactful. That’s why finding harmony between those things is crucial for me.” When reflecting on her journey
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so far, Nomndeni reflects on how much work has gone into Agenda Women as she continues to grow as a person and entrepreneur. She says it feels like entrepreneurship tests all of who you are as a person. She remains dedicated because there is no safety net for her; there is no Plan B. This is it for her. While Nomndeni’s entrepreneurship ambitions seem clearer now, she acknowledges that this was not always the case. “When I first started back in 2009, it was very personal. I wanted to explore entrepreneurship for personal reasons, and even when I launched my second business in marketing consultancy, the end goal was still pretty much for my own gain. Now, my work is really driven by the impact I can make in other people’s lives before I can make an impact in my own life.” “It is also about how we are changing the narrative about women, particularly millennial women and the next generation. I am building a business that’s going to last beyond me.” One of the life-changing realisations she had in this journey was accepting that things will not always be perfect. Looking back now, with the benefit of hindsight, Nomndeni acknowledges that when she was younger, she thought perfection equaled success. “Now I know that a lot of successful people don’t necessarily do things perfectly; they just do them. They just get on with things, and they learn along the way. There is no quest for perfection. It is about getting things done and having the courage to fail. Also, I have learned that it takes courage to ask for help. People who are not courageous are afraid of asking for help because they worry about
being seen as not knowing.” Nomndeni attributes resilience as one of the reasons for her success. “I don’t know how you build resilience, but I just recognise that I am. Even as I speak to you today, there is no potential challenge that faces me; there is nothing that I think could happen that could make me stop. I know how to pace myself. I know how to invest in learning what I need to learn to be better. The business I am building is nowhere close to where I want it to be, but it is well on its way. I am doing it.” For Nomndeni, this unwavering burning desire to empower women is really about recognising her own journey and the impact of people helping her when she needed it the most. Her grandmother believed in her, which influenced Nomndeni’s journey. Growing up as a young girl and constantly being reminded that she was smart is what made all the difference. “I recognise the challenges women face around the world. The world is designed for men to thrive. It is not designed to favour women. For me, it is about working together to make the necessary changes.” “This has had the biggest positive impact on me as a person because I go out into the world with the belief that I am smart. I was raised in a matriarchal home, and I see the impact of that in my own life. To a certain degree, creating Agenda Women is about creating a space that replicates those moments in my life that made me thrive – and creating those moments for other women to tap into and feel like they have someone who believes in them.
realising the urgency for policies designed to put women in better positions to attain success. “In the same way the Government introduced BEE, a policy implemented to allow more black people access to economic empowerment, we need to think deliberately from a government and policy level about the challenges women face and how policy can affect change. Changing how women see themselves will also change what they tolerate. We need to work from the bottom up and from the top down; there is no one way. Our role at Agenda Women is to help change how women see themselves.” Looking ahead to the future, Nomndeni hopes to continue her calling to empower and uplift women. While she is an inspiration to many young women out there, she has also been inspired by many women along her journey. “There are so many women around the world that have shown us that anything is possible despite the challenges. I am constantly being inspired by my peers and how they are showing up for the opportunities that are available to us.” “Being part of a movement of women taking up space and making things happen is really amazing. I am also excited about the challenges we’re facing. It compels us to come together and figure it out. How do we collaborate? How do you identify what you bring to the table? Trying to figure out the best way to collaborate with women in a way that is empowering for them. That’s my other agenda.”
She believes that one of the catalysts in bringing about these necessary changes is
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ART
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MAKAMO FINALLY GETS WHAT HE DESERVES Wo rds by Ko jo Baffo e
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eauty and value are such subjective concepts. Throw ‘power’ into the equation and the exploration of these concepts can descend into an endless, often heated, debate. The discussion around beauty and what is deemed ‘aesthetically pleasing’ cannot be had, especially in this day and age, in isolation of a history that is fraught with oppression, exploitation and an extremely one-sided manifestation of power. The artworld is not immune to this and it could be argued that history, within the context of politics, capitalism, and power, has been especially harsh when it comes to African art, specifically. The language that was used for a long time centred around the words ‘crafts’ and ‘curios’, while much of what was stolen from the continent were often deemed ‘artefacts’ that only have a place in European or Western museums. As a side note, I still cannot get my head around the argument from European institutions, they will not repatriate these stolen works. They say that African institutions do not have the necessary resources and capacity to be able to adequately store these cultural materials, but that is a conversation for another day.
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The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines curios as “something (such as a decorative object) considered novel, rare, or bizarre” while on the website key differences, it states that “Art is described as an unstructured and open-ended form of work; that expresses emotions, feelings, and vision. Craft denotes a form of work, involving the creation of physical objects, by the use of hands and brain. Art relies on artistic merit whereas craft is based on learned skills and technique.” Of course, these are not the ultimate authorities on definition but do easily reflect the general, read Western, consensus. As a layperson, it is my understanding that one of the tools used to separate African art from Western art is functionality and the idea that if something is functional – say a mask, for a traditional ceremony – then it cannot be art. And yet, the influence of African art on European art and the work of artists like Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani and Constantin Brancusi, amongst others, is well documented. The narrative is changing, albeit slower than is ideal, but we do need to keep having the conversations and ensuring that it does not continue to be an extremely one-sided one.
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When it comes to the artist as an individual, there also, sadly, seems to be a great deal of ‘delayed acknowledgement’. You have a Vincent van Gogh whose artworks are included on many a list of the most expensive sold at an auction and yet, while he was alive, he was said to often exchange art for money, food, and art supplies. Closer to home, there was Gerard Sekoto, considered by many to be ‘the pioneer of Black South African art.’ Having gone into exile in France in the late 1940s and despite some success with his art, he spent the last years of his life as a ward of the French state, living in old age homes where he died in 1993. In 2018, his painting The Donkey Water Carrier sold for R1.079 million. Lastly, Dumile Feni who spent the last decade of his life living in New York, where he died in 1991. His income has been said to have not come from his art but ‘mainly from designing record covers, posters, calendars and illustrations in books.’ (Source: www. sahistory.org.za) Acknowledgement and celebration as an artist can be an extremely slow burn and as far from an overnight success as you can possibly get. Yet we still try to push that idea of overnight success when celebrating people, especially in these fickle, social media times. And even how we measure success is flawed. Danish programmer, racing driver and entrepreneur David Heinemeier Hansson is quoted
as having said, “Nobody is an overnight success. Most overnight successes you see have been working at it for ten years.” Nelson Makamo, in his own way, epitomises this, even with the seemingly sudden attention on him and his work in the last two to three years. PRE-OPRAH MAKAMO In 2017, American filmmaker Ava DuVernay bought a Nelson Makamo artwork at an auction. In 2018, she visited Makamo at his studio in Johannesburg and bought another piece. She brought along Oprah Winfrey, at some stage, who also bought a Makamo artwork. In 2019, as guest editor of TIME magazine’s Optimism issue, DuVernay asked Makamo to create an image for the cover which led to him being interviewed by fellow South African Trevor Noah on The Daily Show. Extremely heady times. Headlines for many publications included words like ‘new superstar’, ‘global sensation’, and the like and most of the articles stem from the period 2018 to 2020. Yet Nelson Makamo has been both creating and making an impact on the South African and international art landscape for many years, before and after he made the 190-kilometre trek from his hometown of Modimolle, Limpopo to the bright lights of Johannesburg. A critical chapter in his journey was in January 2003 when he joined the Artist Proof Studio in Johannesburg. In his time there, he received a
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THE ARTIST
Johnson and Johnson bursary (for his first two years) and the Pinpointone Human Resources Scholarship and went on to complete his Certificate in Advanced Professional Printmaking in 2005, even though, during his childhood, his background was more drawing and painting. Printmaking gave him a different perspective on the world and, therefore, creativity and art. Upon completion of his studies, he continued to work at the Artist Proof Studios during which he also exhibited in many print exhibitions including the Ten Years of Printmaking, Student and Staff Artists Proof Studio Exhibition and Print Marathon in Johannesburg and the Print Marathon in Boston, USA. From an art perspective, he exhibited in Obert Contemporary Art Gallery’s Walk with Me (2005), The Thompson Gallery’s Making Identity (2007) and at the Cultural and Business Art Exhibition in Somma Lombardo, Italy. In 2008, when he made the leap into life as a full-time artist focused primarily on portraiture and working in various media including charcoal, watercolour, oil paints, silkscreen, monotype printing and pen and ink. To date, he has exhibited extensively in South Africa and globally, as part of group and individual exhibitions, from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban to the United Kingdom, Germany, Scotland, and the Netherlands. He also did residencies in Italy and France.
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In the 2018 Timeslive article Globally celebrated artist, Nelson Makamo returns to SA with the latest exhibition, written by Rea Khoabane, at the time of the opening of his exhibition The Re-Awakening in Cape Town, Makamo is quoted as saying, “I was born in the '80s and I've found that certain structures restricted our options on who we wanted to be or where we wanted to go. We are the generation that says 'F**k institutions'. It is about developing our growth without the influence of politics, and we should no longer make apartheid an excuse for not going after our dreams." He goes on to say, "People understand the concept of freedom in various ways and we have moved past [having] a single perspective. This body of work depicts today's youth in a re-imagined future. One where the perspective
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of black youth is no longer that of disadvantage or despair, but that of bright lights that will illuminate the future of the continent. I reflect on the things that our forefathers did not have and look at how kids are now able to enjoy things like ice cream and walking around wearing earphones. We are the generation that is resourceful but we're also the generation that is overly excited and overly bored and we're not able to maintain our excitement." Makamo has been able to maintain a level head amidst the excitement. Prior to the attention from people such as DuVernay, Winfrey, Swizz Beats and the like, there was Annie Lennox and Giorgio Armani, as well as the countless prominent South Africans like Black Coffee who have embraced his work. Amidst the commissioned work that includes portraits of
Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and Nelson Mandela, he has continued to stay true to himself, his art and the environment that birthed him, recognising that art is not just a pretty thing that sits on our walls but is also an integral part of the narratives and transformation of the lives of Africans. It is also this that has probably prompted his involvement in the Fashion, Art and Music Academy, F.A.M. Academy with Black Coffee, and designer Laduma Ngxokolo to provide young creatives with the knowledge, the skills, and the support to build their careers in their chosen sector. Nelson Makamo is finally getting all the flowers he deserves, not just from South Africa, but globally, on his terms, which is what is most important while continuing to stay rooted in who he is and where he is from.
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NIKIWE DLOVA: CELEBRATING CULTURE THROUGH THE ART OF HAIR Words by Sizwe Shabalala
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rom Soweto to Black is King, Nikiwe Dlova has been on quite the journey, changing the way people see hair. After years of dedication and hard work, Nikiwe has finally been able to create a hair experience like no other. Known as the Royal Hair Salon, her first solo exhibition was all about showcasing and celebrating culture through hair and creative expression. “Royal Hair Salon is a celebration of identity, culture and craftsmanship through hair art. It is showcasing how versatile hair is from headpieces, hairstyling, hair extensions seen as textiles on weaved royal chairs, on royal hair African masks and weaved hair art portraits.” Not too long ago, Nikiwe’s work was featured on Instagram’s official page, where new people were introduced to what she is all about. The exhibition had a very positive turnout and Nikiwe says this was a great opportunity for people who had only seen her work on social media to finally be able to see it at the exhibition. “People haven’t seen work like this before so they appreciate seeing my work outside of social media. Now they can get to connect with it physically. Also, the support from Botho Project Space, Dark and Lovely and the French Institute (IFAS) has been great.” Having her work recognized and supported in this manner, she says, it means she’s on the right track. People can see the potential of where her work can go and this will open more doors for her.
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“It’s important because it’s who we are, so if we don’t showcase or celebrate it then we lose ourselves and we won’t get an opportunity to educate people about it. Representation helps us to see ourselves and also to be seen. It helps us to relate to each other too and for people to get to know us.” With major entities already aligning with her brand, Nikiwe is adamant on making sure that she does not lose the authenticity in her work as it gains popularity. “I always go back to why I started and to what I want to achieve, that helps me to align with people and brands that fit my vision. When it doesn’t fit, then I won’t compromise because I will lose focus of what I stand for. They come to me because of my authenticity so we’ll have to meet each other where we’re all comfortable with what we want to achieve.” Some of Nikiwe’s work has been for some of South Africa’s biggest names in the industry such as, Busiswa, Boity, Nandi Madida, Shudufhadzo, and Elsa Majimbo. When she looks back at all the iconic pieces she has done so far, she says some of her favorite piec-
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es have to be the headpiece she did for Busiswa on Black is King, Boity’s Glamour cover and Elsa Majimbo’s hairstyles on Native Magazine. In addition to having her work featured on Beyonce’s Black is King, she was also recognised by being included in the Design Indaba Emerging Creative Class of 2021 – a prestigious honour for any Creative building their name. Through the success of her recent exhibition, she hopes that more people will start to see hair as art and most importantly, she hopes people will see the value in creating art that reflects our cultures and diverse traditions. “We need to keep reinventing it. Our hands are powerful. We should continue pushing boundaries through handcraft work and art. Let’s not forget how powerful and creative we are as Africans, there’s a lot we can learn and exchange. My exhibition is a fusion of inspiration from different African countries (Ghana, Benin, Cameroon and South African) because I wanted to share knowledge about what other cultures do to celebrate their royalty and translate that to hair since it’s our crown.”
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REALNESS AND FANTASY WITH PONAHALO MOJAPELO Words by Khensani Mohlatlole
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hen being listed as one of the faces of the 21st century, Ponahalo Mojapelo spoke of confidence as performance. Her greatest tool was the ability to fake it until you make it but now as a model who’s graced Vogue and walked for South Africa’s biggest designers, and a DJ who’s played some of the most memorable parties, and a writer covering the pinnacle of culture: there’s no longer anything performative or fake about what she’s doing. A lot of recent discourse around LGBTQIA+ representation in media has been towards a stronger focus on queer joy, pride and dignity. While it’s undeniable that our society as a whole has many ways to go in our treatment of anyone who falls outside the cis-heteronormative standard, our representations of queer people do not have to end at their pain, suffering and degradation. Perhaps this is why Mojapelo has come into her own as one of South Africa’s favourite influencers. She’s an it-girl who shows the beauty and joie de vivre that too many people are denied. It’s truly a sight to see a beautiful, young Black queer woman thriving in her career, surrounded by other successful and happy queer Black creatives, living their full fantasy. She’s quick to remind you that while things may seem on the up and up online, look at the success and triumphs of your Rich Mnisis, Lasizwes and Olwee, all of that glamour carries a tangible cost. “I definitely think that we’ve played a role in how queer youth express themselves on social media but it in terms of people’s home towns, schools, legislation and policy?”
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Shon Faye describes this dichotomy as the true essence of the term “realness”. Realness isn’t just about a convincing drag costume or serving fish, it’s an enchanting and terrifying performance that speaks to what is both emulated and absent. It’s interesting then that Mojapelo’s Instagram following really began to grow after she fully embraced her most unique trait: her side profile. We often lament the business of influence to manufactured authenticity and a performance of sincerity but it’s still true that what’s real still sells. “I’m unique,” she says when asked why people follow her. “I think people feel seen
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by seeing me.” Mojapelo is a constant display of confidence. She knows she’s a star and her willingness to accept that resonates with the way we all want to look at ourselves. No matter what anyone else says. And there is a lot of that. The internet remains an open platform for discussion but we have seen, time and time again, that influencers, especially women, are often subjected to the harshest (and often unwarranted) criticism and abuse as the burden of fame, celebrity and public perception. If it’s not local influencers being slut shamed as sugar babies because they’ve attained lavish lifestyles from turning themselves into brands, then it’s bullying and put-
downs for committing the ultimate crime as a Black woman: loving yourself. “I’ve learnt that a lot of bullying is never a personal attack but rather an outward expression of someone else’s insecurities,” Mojapelo explains. “I’ve learned that it’s ok to be upset about, even though people will always tell you not to be. I deal with that by just becoming even better and even hotter than I was yesterday. [I think] ‘How do I improved myself?’” Much like George Herbet said, “the best revenge is living well”, Mojapelo jokes: “I want them to cry blood.” It’s one of the only kinds of vengeance that gives you more than it can ever take. At the
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Being a slashie makes even more sense for Mojapelo this way. It’s a common trope that millennials and zoomers job hop, can’t commit and will do anything and everything but look at all of Mojapelo’s slashes, you can see that it’s always about being you. It just may be that today, there’s a different way to achieve that. She speaks of how all the skills she’s picked up from Djing, writing, modeling and influencing all feed into each other. She’s learned composition, image making and her angles from modeling which translates to her aesthetically pleasing feed. She understands delivering what
people want from DJing – and that’s a lifelong skill in any career. She knows how to speak to people and deliver a message, be it through writing, posing for a camera or monetising her impact. Speaking of impact, she mentions the importance of doing what she can with her platform. “I think there’s always a responsibility to teach if you know and to speak if your voice comes with volume.” “The responsibility isn’t always to speak about queerness, [but] to at least protect the interests of your community and act in a way that isn’t harmful. It’s always hard to know what the right thing to say is but don’t cause more harm.”
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end of the day, being better is always for you, yourself.
She says she’s been fortunate to witness the likes of queer icons 3SUM’s Jeff Moyo, Amstel and Koyo Bala growing up. “I just love how exuberant they were, the low-rise pants, big glasses, red lip gloss and out of this world confidence.” One of the greatest things anyone different could do is be loud and unabashed. Today, she also looks to FAKA’s Desire and Fela Gucci. They’re another show of the perseverance and beauty she hopes to emulate; whether in living boldly, working at her craft or giving back to her community. Today, you’ll probably find Mojapelo on the MaXhosa runway or turning up the party. But tomorrow? She only has the sky as her limit.
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MUSIC
THE BIRTH OF THE COOL SAM SONIC Words by Sizwe Shabalala
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THE NAM E U NA RA M S HAS BECOM E SY N ON Y M O US WI TH ADJ E C T I V E S S U CH AS , C OOL , BR I L L IANT AND M A S TE R F UL. ” 86
The project is simply called, “hold me when it’s cold: a mixtape” and it features the likes of, Langa Mavuso, Blxckie, Lucille Slade, rising R&B star Nanette and more. The mixtape came at a time when fans were expecting to get an official album from Una Rams but due to more reasons than one, Una Rams changed course and instead released this mixtape. “I had been working on my album, ’crush’; I played it for my manager, Savannah, and she asked when I would like to release – I answered June and her response was that it sounded a lot more like a Spring/Summer project. I was a bit bummed at first, but I had my heart set on releasing and so, right then and there, I said I’d make a mixtape for the winter and I’d call it ‘hold me when it’s cold’. It took about 3 weeks to curate and write out all the songs I wanted and about 3 months to get the features, the business end of things and everything else around the release ready.” While some artists like to use a mixtape as an opportunity to experiment, sometimes the quality of the music suffers in the pro-
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aving not released a music project in over two years, his return was always going to be a much anticipated one. When he appeared on Shekhinah’s sophomore album earlier this year, where the two collaborated on a flawless song, the anticipation for his own project grew even further. After a couple of year away, a few singles and feature verses along the way, Una Rams has finally made his return and this era is now dubbed as the Sam Sonic era.
cess, however, when you listen to this mixtape, you can tell that everything was well-thought out. You get the sense that Una Rams is finally at a level where he has a very clear understanding of the kind of artist he wants to be moving forward. “There’s a level of care and attention I give to my work, regardless of how it’s packaged, this is why I tend to refer to them as projects — this was pretty much me experimenting, and trying to get things right, not only on the musical side of things but also on rollout and the business end of things as well.” After coming to the decision that his album would need to be pushed back, Una Rams started shortlisting some ideas that had existed on his laptop for some time and began actively working on putting together this impressive body of work. This part of the process was especially cathartic for him. “I was visiting the studio religiously. It was my place of peace and also quite therapeutic. There was just something about transforming the rough sketches into fully fledged songs and I have guys like KissBeatz and Christer to thank!” Like every other artist out there, Una Rams was also affected by the pandemic. He says, “It’s easy to get lost in the noise — sometimes it’s good to tune that out and just dance to your own rhythm. I think it’s important for every artist to have a season of inspiration where they look at what’s going on around them and understand it, but there needs to be a season that follows that,
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a season of creation where the artist will look within.” Since most of this mixtape was made during lockdown restrictions and curfews, Una Rams had to adjust and find new ways to work but even then, he says COVID has been both a blessing and a curse because one the one hand, it turned the entertainment industry on its head but on the other hand, this amazing piece of music would most likely not have been made. “Instead of complaining, we just had to lean into the resources we had. It meant having to send through demos to potential collaborators so they could create remotely and cutting studio time short. We’re typically used to working quite late but with curfew in place we had to make the most of the limited time we had. I think it came in handy because then I could go in there with laser focus and manage to get home in time to rest for my office job.” One of the standout songs on the mixtape is a song called, “ndo tou rali” and it is a song sung in TshiVenda. It is not a common occurrence to hear an R&B song in the mainstream that is almost entirely in TshiVenda and so, it makes sense as to why people were so intrigued when they first heard it. “The song literally fell into me. For me, it’s super important for us all to have wider windows that peer into each other’s cultures and backgrounds, that allows room for understanding & love. It’s also a symbol of pride for anyone that comes from Venda. Having grown up speaking Tshivenda, I took its beauty for granted, I think we all often
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do with our mother tongue, but getting to share it with the world has given me a different perspective, it’s delightful to see so many people intrigued by it.” While the fans have concluded that there is not one bad song on this mixtape, for Una Rams, the song he is most proud of is a song called “closer2you”, which features one of the most talented and exciting South African artists, Muzi. “I rarely finish or publish any of the beats I make on my laptop, playing this for my friends one night and having them jam to it was super affirming. If that hadn’t happened it probably wouldn’t be on here. I’ll have to say though, “next2me” featuring Langa Mavuso is definitely the Beyonce of the project — it was amazing hearing it back after we had put all the pieces in place.” The way the pandemic is currently set up, we are seeing a lot more events taking place and people are out and about enjoying themselves after being inside for so long. This means that artists can finally get back out there and perform for fans. “I want to get to perform these songs for people. I've decided to do my own shows – I think that’s the best way we’ll get to articulate what the standard for an Una Rams performance is. I have a lot of wild and crazy ideas and I spend time each day trying to figure out how to bring them to life. I definitely need to finish the album though…’crush’ coming soon!”
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