10 MINUTES WITH LOCAL TASTE MAKERS

Zach Kauraisa

I have a lot of respect for men who pull off turtle necks with Cuban links, and Zach Kauraisa is no exception. On the contrary – he (and Dwayne Johnson) are the origin of my fondness for this fashion statement. He might as well have invented it.

His temporary relocation to Dundee, Scotland, means we can’t meet for coffee at a local joint. But the hourlong Whatsapp call makes it feel as if I’ve known Zach forever (which I don’t) and as if we’re going to be lifelong friends (here’s hoping.) It’s our seemingly endless tête-à-tête that makes me wonder why he hasn’t added “conversationalist” (or anything,for that matter) to his Instagram bio. It’s probably because he cannot, and shouldn’t, narrow it down.

In true taste-maker fashion, Zach wears many hats. He is a dancing, photographing, event planning, content creating, visual artist with a law degree to boot. “Now what on earth is this asset to the Namibian creative industry doing in Dundee?”, you might ask. I did, and I regret to inform you that he is not learning the bagpipes, but doing his Honors in Oil & Gas law.

Lots of question marks, I know.

Zach has a hunch that Namibia is soon to strike the oil jackpot. He’s left the borders of the Land of the Brave – for the very first time, I might add – to equip himself with the necessary knowledge to lawyer the hell out of this prospective industry. He’s ahead of the curve, once again. And we’re all still playing catch up with his crazy art.

If you were planning on putting Zach in a box – which you really shouldn’t – crazy is probably the closest you’re going to get to describing this muso. Crazy because he and his friends put together the first and wildly successful Windhoek Pop-Up festival – in 9 days flat.

If you were planning on putting Zach in a box – which you really shouldn’t – crazy is probably the closest you’re going to get to describing this muso.

Everything he knows, besides the law degree, he has taught himself. In high school, a need for a creative to capture the choreography of his dance collective led him to learn the art of videography. When planning the popular festival, he set out to acquire the skills necessary to successfully design, manage and market an event that would later become a regular occurrence. In four hours, Zach and a close friend conceptualised a bespoke fashion accessories brand and, with the help from a few Google searches, sourced manufacturers and positioned the limited edition hats in the Namibian market.

The secret? An inherently extroverted personality and a hunger for knowledge. The “ability to learn, learn fast and learn always” is what has driven his success. “It is when you refuse to learn, that you struggle.”

Along with just enough youth and naivety to take massive risks, Zach has a certain je ne sais quoi when it comes to what he creates. Zach has the almost unheard-of ability to separate himself and his ego from the art – lending himself to whatever it requires. It is in this capacity that you find his images having an unfuckwithable attitude. But you can, as a matter of fact, fuck with Zach. Because he’s a genuinely nice guy and a crazy creative.

Although the creative space isn’t going to do his breadwinning – because it lacks the structure he finds himself craving in an 8-5 job – Zach will still create during weekends (thank goodness). See, while we’re out shaking away the working week, he’ll be creating the gobsmacking content we’ll be fawning over, come Monday. That’s Zach, he’s unconventional, in-tune, ahead of the curve and wears turtlenecks and Cuban links like it’s nobody’s business.

Charene Labuschagne