Luis Munana

The “golden boy” building an empire

When he first popped up on our radars as a young fashion model making a name for himself in South Africa while pursuing a finance degree, it seemed that Luis Munana was already doing it big.

He took on big runway shows for international events, including Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nigeria and London.

Today, Luis has surpassed his vision of where he thought he would end up, building an empire that boasts some of the most significant Namibian fashion and entertainment brands.

He is the proud founder and creative director of Windhoek Fashion Week and Zuriel clothing brand, co-founder of RaZul luxury MCC, and founder of the Waka Waka Moo children’s TV and awards show – all firsts for Namibia.

“The idea was to become a supermodel, to retire as a model and not pursue other avenues in fashion. I never saw myself designing. I never saw myself running events in the fashion space. I always thought I’d be a supermodel – that was the ambition,” Luis says.

ON THE SCREEN

When he finally realised his destiny, Luis worked relentlessly with every new opportunity that came his way. In 2014, he graced our TV screens as Namibia’s latest Big Brother Africa housemate, which helped him establish a continent-wide fanbase.

“With Big Brother Africa being the most watched African show at the time, it meant that all of Africa was watching the show together. So it opened doors for me and allowed me to enter spaces I wouldn’t normally have entered – even though I didn’t win. That show was important for creatives across the continent,” he says.

With his star continuing to rise after his BBA stint, Luis came back to Namibia to establish Windhoek Fashion Week, an event that has become the most anticipated local fashion event of the year.

The work did not stop there. Luis built a strong portfolio of TV work after serving as the Yo! Music Video Countdown host. He co-founded and presented Voigush Africa, and hosted the MTV Base All Africa Awards, Metro FM Awards, the Namibian Annual Music Awards and Namibia’s Got Talent. He also hosted the City of Windhoek’s annual New Year’s Bash for three consecutive years.

RECEIVING HIS FLOWERS

With all the years of hard work and perseverance, Luis’ impact spread across the continent. By 2019, he became the first

Namibian creative listed on Forbes Africa 30 under 30. He later became one of five Africans to be recognised by Forbes Japan. Before that, in 2015, Munana was recognised by the Namibian Business Hall of Fame as an emerging entrepreneur.

This year, Luis’ appearance on another continental reality TV show, Young Famous & African, propelled him to even greater heights. In fact, with the show premiering on Netflix, it changed his status from an African star to one whose face is now recognised globally.

KEEPING THE MOMENTUM

While Luis continues to push the boundaries of what one can achieve as a creative entrepreneur, he notes that it is important to not overdo things.

“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the journey is to pace myself. I’m the type of person who likes to do everything because of that drive and determination that I can do it. But I’ve learned that I should pace myself to avoid burnout.”

As a perfectionist, he also learned to accept mistakes as part of the journey. He plans to keep the momentum and identify new opportunities in areas unexplored. “When you fill a need or a gap in a space, it makes you relevant. But if you’re doing something everybody does, you’ll die out quickly because you are not serving any need in the market.”

“You’d notice that most of my projects are firsts of their kind in the country, as opposed to re-inventing the wheel or doing what others are already doing, I try to focus on what we don’t have in Namibia, especially if it has been tried and tested in other countries,” he explains.

When you fill a need or a gap in a space, it makes you relevant. But if you’re doing something everybody does, you’ll die out quickly because you are not serving any need in the market.

Luis aims to transcend conventional boundaries in the creative sector. His clothing brand, Zuriel, embodies this ethos, and he promises an upcoming collection centred around the theme of #GoldenBoy. “This year, I want to pay homage to my bling era. I have become accustomed to luxury and nice, beautiful, shiny things, so I want to pay tribute to this.”

Anticipation mounts for the latest Zuriel showcase as the MTC Windhoek Fashion Week approaches this November. Expect a dazzling display of creativity, as has become the mark of Zuriel’s show-stopping exhibitions during fashion week. Giving a small tease of what to expect, Luis promises a collection in opulent black, gold and white aesthetics.

Rukee Kaakunga is a Windhoek-based communications specialist, blogger and freelance fashion writer. Contact her via email: rukeekaakunga@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @rukeeveni and Instagram @rukeekaakunga