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PUMA X CAREAUX
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Ed’s note It’s been said that when you are a woman of colour just existing and thriving has something controversial in it . It is so exciting to be part of a generation of women that are causing controversy by their mere existence .In standing up , speaking out and not taking any less than what they deserve. A generation of women that are changing things instead of complaining about how things are not changing. We decided to call this issue of TWENTY ‘THE WOMEN POWERHOUSE’, which simply sees to celebrate women we found inspiring and are basically just killing the game :). This has been a beautiful issue to put together. I hope the ladies featured inspires you as much as they have inspired us here at TWENTY. Enjoy.
Editor: Yolanda Willie yolandawillie16@gmail. com Art direction & Design : Sibongile Mditshwa Karl Ndebele Photographers : Luxolo Witvoet Writers: Inga Mnyasane Sisipho Sodge Sojola Contributors : Ben Moyo Ziphozakhe Hlobo Yannis Davy Guibinga Cover : Manthe Ribane Photographer: Chris Saunders Follow us : twitter - twenty_mag Instagram - twenty_mag
CONTE
Yolanda Willie Chief Editor
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- Yolanda Willie
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A Q&A WITH ANDY MKOSI
THE IRONY OF THE BLACK WOMEN EMPOWERMENT NARRATIVE PINKY: THE TOKOLOSHI WITH A FETISH MEL MADIBA JABULILE SOPETO BELINDA PHOFU -A BLACK WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS REVIEW
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MANTHE RIBANE Performance artist, model and dancer.
WRITTEN BY LANDA WILLE
She has been described as a
creative engine, I couldn’t agree more. However, Getting to know Manthe Ribane made me realise that she is so much more. Beneath her composed demeanour there was something powerful and I was unravelling it bit by bit throughout our chat. My perspective was changed, a relationship was built and a new found respect was born for this 28 year old who has earned her stripes and respect in the creative industry, locally and abroad.
Dear Manthe, We all fell in love with Manthe Ribane back in 1996 when she performed at Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebration at Orlando Stadium at the age of 8 .We have loved watching her make the world her stage ever since . How it all started was amazing to find out. One cannot help but notice how this star lights up when speaking about her siblings Tebogo and Kokona Ribane and being raised by 2 highly esteemed and intelligent parents, “My Childhood experience was beyond amazing” She tells TWENTY. “We had a very active lifestyle. Sports activities, art gallery exhibitions, graphic design classes on school holidays and swimming lessons. There was never a lazy TV day.Our parents instilled braveness in us before we even understood the word. They believed in us so much. That is truly important for us to stay in tune with our purpose RIP Mom and Dad’
Manthe was born in 1988 to parents Patrick Mabale Ribane and Anna Ribane. Describing her Mother as her hero who always loved helping and hosting people and her dad Patrick as an inspiration, not only to herself but to the rest of the community with his work and involvement in the sports and entertainment industry in the 80’s. Manthe and I spoke about being a creative, the creative industry, collaborations, her creative agency and her performance at the Cointreau Creative Crew UK Grand Finale alongside her Siblings, Kokona and Tebogo. Growing up seeing her aunt Nakedi Ribane, well known actress and famously known as Senthaolele in the 80’s Sepedi drama Bophelo ke Semphekgo ,model and now doctrine in Arts and Culture has helped Manthe find her creative confidence and explains that being a creative was part of child experience .
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“We love creating .We are a living proof of the 21st century possibilities and consistently stay within the creative industry .Looking back on how our parents instilled the power of self believe ,helped us to stay striving .We are living in the new world and anything is possible .You are who you surround yourself with .Never stop learning . Never stop asking questions” Ribane went on to prove herself to be a highly versatile creative. Not only is she a performance artist, model and dancer but she also co-owns a Joburg based creative agency with her siblings, 113 Studios. 113 Studios aims to create jobs and stay timeless and has been growing stronger in the industry. Using social media to reach out to a local and international audience, 113 Studios has been nominated for the 100 Superbalist, 100 Young Independent and World Wide Music Awards and has managed to get sponsors like Nike ZA, Miista, Kurt Gieger and Cointreau France on board. I was eager to find out what her thoughts and views on collaborations are. There are no longer gate keepers when it comes to the creative industry but it has been said that there is still a dire need for collaboration .Manthe got to collaborate with amazing people and believes that we all need each other to grow. “Collaboration is everything From Doctors, furniture designers, material Designers; we all need each other to grow. I got to collaborate with amazing people is because I had to aim higher. But it’s important to understand the people you’ll be working with; how you’ll grow from that collaboration. Are they clean or dirty? Are they consistently amazing with their execution? Are they also dreaming to be theMAG greatest. 8 | TWENTY
Are they focused? Always gravitate towards greatness.” Her talent and work ethic has led her to collaborate with big names in the industry like Mafikizolo, Toya Delazy, OKMALUMKOOLKAT, Spoek Mathambo and recently, Die Antwoord. A few weeks back I attended Conversations on Creativity hosted by Creative Nestlings. We spoke about resources and it seems that the inability to access these resources has become a nightmare for a lot of creatives.
Magical air .We all are excellent within. If only we appreciated everyone’s skin from the beginning of the centuries” Manthe - A refreshing different ,but if I had to sum her up in one word;Magic would do. Dear Ribane, Thank you. The world is only fortunate to have met you.
Manthe stretched to me the importance of dreaming big ,aiming high , looking presentable , research ,and using resources such as social media to your advantage.She also went on to say that We need to spread and share the resources that we already have with each other. We need to find out why we need these resources and why we need each other in order for us to fully and correctly utilise platforms and resources given to us. “Stay Healthy. Read books to guide you. Smell Good. Don’t swear on your social media platforms. There’s so much money to be made.” Our chat was sadly coming to an end. What was meant to have been a Q&A that consisted of 10 question turned into chats, laughs and stories being shared and treasured. As I was about to leave I had one more question to ask .What BlackGirlMagic meant to her. To us here at TWENTY it means black girls existing, living, and thriving much like Manthe Ribane. “Black magic .Obviously we all are magical but we don’t need to title Black .We all need to see each other beyond colour .There’s magic in skin .The fact that we are all breathing in the same air .
Images By: Chris Saunders
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RENDANI NEMAKHAVHANI Graphic designer. Illustrator
Interviewed by.Landa Willie 1. How did your childhood shape and influenced the creative person you have become? I don’t know if I can say anything in particular if my childhood influenced my creativity. I was always inquisitive. There’s an advert that used (and this might not make sense here, but it’s the first thing that’s come to mind) to be on tv and at the end of the ad the number two was written on a board or something along those lines, I don’t remember it clearly, but I remember trying my best to copy how that number was written (it was the two with a bubble in it). For the longest time I couldn’t do it, and so I’d wait with bated breath for the ad to be on screen again to see how it was done so I could do it, until I finally got it right. So I’ve always been fascinated with the weird and stupid quirks of life. Colouring books and stationery were always my thing, so I guess it’s been a gift that’s just always been in me. 2. Has graphic designing always been a medium of choice for you? When I first got into it, I had no fucking idea what it was. All I knew (or rather assumed) was that I wouldn’t have to draw. Until I found out that drawing was a compulsory module. I was in so many sads in that moment, but I got through it. Till this day I can’t freehand draw.
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I became comfortable with it as time went on and here we are, me still exploring myself as a creative person in the context of visual communication.
instincts so we honour our parents’ dreams instead. I was fortunate enough to have parents who let me study and do what I wanted to do (I think my being terrible at math and science convinced my parents and I’m also quite stubborn soooo... ). I also think that we are living in an age where we know for certain that we aren’t born to be confined in boxes that makes us uncomfortable and unhappy. So I think it’s more the kids who are wanting to get into the arts with all of their hearts and those who want to live their dreams who dare to do it, while reassuring their parents that we will be alright, even with art as a career choice. 4. What do you attribute your success to?
3. Growing up, people of colour aren’t exactly taught to be artistic, we are told to aspire towards more orthodox professions like medicine, education etc. Do you think the narrative is changing in the modern society, are parents becoming more approving of artistic and creative careers? I mean yeah, unfortunately we aren’t always in positions where we have the privilege and environment that encourages us to follow our creative
God, and when I say God I mean that he has enabled me to be. Also growing up man, when you grow up being the awkward kid and everything and everyone around you tells you that you are not the right kind or that you don’t fit the normal and theres something wrong with you. You start to look at yourself in all kinds of ways. So you see all the ugly the world has diagnosed you with and then you tear away from that, bit by bit. So the gist of it is that I’ve pretty much given myself the chance to look at me and criticise me and then be able to say that this is what I want and, this is what I don’t
want. Also, I don’t think that I’m successful yet, I don’t know if I ever will be, but what I will say is that I haven’t done badly for a girl like me. 5. What are your thoughts and views on collaboration? That shit is equivalent to travelling the world (says the girl who’s never been out of the country hahaha). It opens your mind and your eyes and your networks and then magic happens. It’s silly to close yourself off to collaboration. I do however feel that one should be in tune with their instincts when it comes to those kind of things, you know? Collaboration is an intimate thing. Creativity and application and comprehension of each other’s vibes is essential. If you aren’t on the same wave length then shit will prolly fuck-out. 6. Were you surprised at the type of recognition and attention The Honey got , and what was the inspiration behind it? Not really surprised but in awe. At some point I’d get teary about the responses because I no longer knew how to say thank you to all the people who praised and showed love to The Honey. It’s (kinda) flattering to know that people trust that you’ll deliver your best beautiful work. I don’t even know what to call this thing anymore. It was inspired by an illustration that I did, called ‘The Honey Shall Govern’, that bombed out- meh. 7. What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned as a creative Trust your gut, not everyone who wants to work with you has good intentions for you and your work. As a creative person you automatically have all the wealth in the world, you just need to know how to make it work for YOU.
Images supplied by: Rendani Nemakhavhani
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8. What does creativity mean to you? Its’s immeasurable. I still can’t fathom some of the things that I’ve been able to do and that I, ME, RENDANI have done all of these things. Also, it’s a lifestyle man. You can’t force this thing. 9. What influence your work? LIFE. Yeah… I love people,I love black people and I love the city. So I try to intergrate those very elements in my work. The influence might change or evolve three – ten years from now. 10. #Blackgirlmagic and #Blackexcellence has been trending for months now . What does #Blackgirlmagic and #blackexcellence mean to you? What’s that thing Anderson Paak sang? “Lately I’ve been glowed up”… yeah, that’s pretty much how I feel about it. It does go deeper than that, we’d have to be high on tea to unpack this affirmation. I will however say this, it’s important that it’s said out loud, it is also important that we believe it when we’re saying it.
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Yannis Davy Guibinga Gabonese photographer currently based in Toronto. Check out work - yannisdavy.com
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ANDY MKOSI
Audiovisual artist & Photographer
Interviewed by. Inganathi Mnyasane Photographer. Junaid Samaai
1 You’re a creative, mainly rapper and photographer, why did you choose these mediums to tell your story? I am an Audiovisual artist. I don’t think I am a rapper per say, yes maybe deeply associated with Hip Hop but I would love to think of myself as a musician.Reason being its too easy for one to get trapped in that box of ‘rapper’ and never create beyond that.I have a way with words like rappers but I have grown to understand that I am not really one. Hm, answering Q&A’s like these makes responses sound cliched but I did not choose these mediums, especially not Photography, after high school I enrolled to study film and landed in a Photography course and I never fought that, just went with it and It was not a bad decision at all.
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2 Which life principle do you live by, and also which inspires you in your work? Never to let your current circumstance determine where you want to be.Its this one principle that makes me wake u, knowing your purpose as well and understanding your path as an individual. 3 There are not many female rappers in the industry so what would you say makes Andy Mkosi different from the rest? It might be the fact that a lot of people can relate to my character, a lot of people gravitate towards my chubby child like demeanour. I really don’t know, I always try to be the best version of Andiswa before anything else and I guess that could also be it.
6 In the song Background featuring Maurice Turk, you address a lot of issues regarding your life and generally what’s happening in the world currently, what would you say is your ideal world? Thank you for listening to the lyrics, people are not listening to what I am saying in my music.i appreciate you sitting down and making an effort for the sake of the Q&A, remind me to buy you crack-a-snacks when I see you again.Its a world where people walk around naked and not phased by comments or gags. 7 If you were to choose anyone to collaborate with, be it in photography or music, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Anderson Paak internationally because this dude is a true definition of a musician and 4 As a young female rapper, what sort of entertainer and Busiswa who did that song “pressure” are you facing in the industry Ngoku fuuck that woman is such a creative right now? and is very entertaining. Haha I see what you did there. Fuck hey, I need a place to stay hey.Rent is fucked up.Thats my pressure now having a place to be free and create anytime I wish. 5 A lot of upcoming rappers struggle to break into the industry, any tips or tricks? Andazi man, don’t fall for the hype?! Be authentic.There are too many people out there we can’t all push the same bullshit.
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8 You can rap about anything in the world or beyond, but you choose “strong black beautiful women” as your subjects, why? Thats not entirely true, True Africa took that headline beyond beyond hey.I don’t necessarily focus on that subject matter all the time but on the song background it was that subject matter because females matter and regardless of what society says and what I like about it is that there is a breed of woman/women who are unapologetic in their strides and are not pitying themselves, like yourself doing your thing with this mag and being great.
9 About your song Chakras in the EP “Ndine Feelings” what I (and I’m sure most people who have heard the song) would like to know is did you get the girl? Or is she still confined in your dreams? I let go of her a couple of days ago lowo. We wet dreamed once more before I let go of her. My dreams have another muse now. 10 Your sound is very different and easy to jam to; based on what criteria do you choose the producers you work with? I go with feeling.I will mess with any type of producer as long as the sound comes with feeling, everything is feeling whether we like it or not.Make me feel and we can definitely work together. 11 You’re a co-founder of Jam that session, can you tell us more about that and how it empowers the youth.
13 What is your measure of success? When I buy my mother a house and build my grandmother a bathroom in her room. Travel the world and own numerous barberhshops. 14 Mind sharing any plans for the future? We have a Bedroom Tour coming up where we will be performing at various bedrooms for an intimate crowd - if you want us to come jam at yours mkosiandy@gmail.com 15 Lastly , #Blackgirlmagic and #Blackexcellence has been trending for months now on social media . What does #Blackgirlmagic and #blackexcellence mean to you? Being unapologetic and making money out of your brainchild.
Jam That Session started off as a platform for artists to perform and has since then developed into many folds one of those is the artist agency we are building up as a second phase of the business and at the moment the main priority is myself and Obie Mauves.SO we are releasing our music, merchandise everything via Jam That Session Records.We are an indie label for ourselves. 12 Not so long ago, you were a part of the British council/connect ZA, how was that experience for you? You mean the competition? Yeah that was awesome.I think with everything one gets involved with they open a few doors for themselves and people start taking you seriously bit by bit. So yeah that was a part of my life that helped me establish a few connections.
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JABU NADIA NEWMAN Photographer. Visual artist. Interviewed by.Sisipho Sojola
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1. You have a Xhosa name and english surname .What is the story behind it ?
4. How do people engage with the show and do they understand the message?
So my name is actually Zulu, Jabulile, and it means I was happy or just happiness, and my parents named me after an activist who died during the struggle called Jabu Ndlovu, I actually have her book. My dad almost called me Sibongile after Sibongile Khumalo. The surname Newman supposedly was made after my dad’s grandfather, who was German, decided to marry their family’s slave’s daughter and then renamed himself “A New Man” which became Newman. But I highly doubt this is true it’s just what my dad used to tell me.
The response for the first episode has been incredible and overwhelming. I think for most of the audience they understand the messages that are being put forward even though there are so many. However I don’t expect people to really understand what we’re trying to say after the pilot episode because there’s a lot more that needs to be developed as the show goes on. There has been some confusion or negative response but naturally that’s come from whiteys and men. People have called it vigilantism which is hilarious and some womxn thought Femme Fatale is a sex addict because she had a dildo so yeah there’s still a lot that the audience needs to learn.
2. You have created a very animated yet equally impactful tone with The Foxy Five, why did you choose to do it in that way? I wanted to explore comedy and wanted to create a story that womxn could laugh and cry to. Plus a lot of the comedy comes from the actresses improvising, they are all naturally hilarious! Comedy is one of the strongest mediums to deal with tragedy because it forces the audience to question why they are laughing at such important issues. 3. A vision is only as good as the people who helped made it happen -- how did you meet the ladies on The Foxy Five? Each womxn who is involved is either a friend or someone I’ve worked with before. I wrote the characters for the actresses I had involved as the actresses were chosen before the characters were really developed. The crew came together during the first episode and after and we are trying to make the crew only womxn and predominantly black womxn.
5. Feminism can be perceived in so many ways – what is your definition based on your experiences? Feminism for me is womxn doing whatever the fuck they want and not being judged or discriminated against because they are womxn. It is something that is synonymous with equality and resides in all womxn whether they believe it or not. If you want to live freely as a womxn then you are a feminist. 6. How would you define Intersectional Feminism to a gaatjie in the taxi? I would define intersectional feminism to a gaartjie or anyone as the understanding that different people and different womxn experience different degrees and levels of discriminations, prejudice and struggles and therefore what black womxn and what white womxn are fighting for are completely different. We need to focus on what the lowest class and most underprivileged womxn needs to say that we are really feminists.
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7. Why do you think it is necessary to voice your opinion on this movement? I think it’s important to include as many voices to this movement as possible and especially black South African womxn voices. I think it’s even more important to include trans, non-binary and queer voices into the talks of intersectional feminism and ending patriarchy because we all have a lot to learn. 8. What have you been doing since you’ve taken the six month break from studies? I have mainly been working on The Foxy Five, but I’ve also been working on my photography have produced some series including Self Portraits: An Ode to Frida Kahlo, Urban Jungle and Dirty Laundry which is also a short film. I am currently working on another short about womxn friendships and hope to release that at in the next month or so. 8. What have you been doing since you’ve taken the six month break from studies?
12. Has storytelling always been in your genes?
I have mainly been working on The Foxy Five, but I’ve also been working on my photography have produced some series including Self Portraits: An Ode to Frida Kahlo, Urban Jungle and Dirty Laundry which is also a short film. I am currently working on another short about womxn friendships and hope to release that at in the next month or so.
I come from a family of teachers, actors, researchers and writer so I guess it has been. But my parents have always encouraged and sometimes even forced me to be creative. I was forced to do ballet, art classes and piano classes from primary school all the way through to the end of matric and knew that I would always be in the creative field. Film and photography was just the final medium for me to tell stories through.
9. When did you first hold a camera and whose was it? I first started taking pictures in high school, particularly when I was 15, off a cheap film camera that my aunt had given men. From then on I’ve worked with different film and digital cameras which have all been donated by family and friends. 10. How long does it take you to film and/or plan a shoot?
13. Who is the first person you show your finished work to and why? The first person I show my work to is my partner Chris Kets an amazing filmmaker and photographer. He has taught me so much and is always helping me with what I do. I truly trust and value his opinion as I know he always has the best intentions and fully supports me.
It would probably take me a week to a month to plan a photography shoot and a month plus for a film. I have to work with a fully formulated plan and don’t enjoy just going out and shooting that’s why I don’t do street photography. I always want my work to be packed with information and meaning and that always takes time, even if most of the time is just thinking about it.
14. What are your thoughts on the #BlackGirlMagic movement?
11. What is the creative process you go through when you’re editing each shot?
15. Describe uJabu in a six-worded story.
Each shot or image needs to be important and tell a story in itself. It needs to be something that I have never seen before and make sense with with all the work that I’ve produced.
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I think it is incredible, beautiful, sincere and so necessary. It has given me so much self confidence and inspiration and makes me feel held and loved in a world where we are not meant to feel that way.
Creating my own world for others. Images Supplied By: Jabu Nadia Newman
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DROWNING IN PAIN.
By Landa Willie Photographer - Luxolo Witvoet
I tried painting my pain in flowers. I guess to make it nicer to look at. Pain can be such a bitch, up until you give in, feel it , listen to it , and kill it , it will drown you!
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The Irony of the ‘Black Women Empowerment’ Narrative This was a very valid argument, A while ago, I had a conversation and now that I think about it, the WRITTEN BY ZIPHOZAKHE HLOBO PHOTOGRAPHS BY BEN MOYO
about the “black female empowerment” narrative with a black man, and he asked me this question; “Who is the black female empowerer, and what is their motive behind empowering you?” The question took me back to “For Black Girls Only,” an event which happened in Johannesburg (Constitution Hill) on 31st January 2016. The event was described as “A pro-Black; pro-Women feminist space for Black women ONLY which is deliberately and unapologetically committed to the upliftment of Black women. #ForBlackGirlsOnly is a space where Black women who have been taught and thought to be lesser; less beautiful, less confident, less worthy of love and respect, can begin a process of redefining themselves for themselves outside a daily environment that seek to undermine their agency and treat them as secondaries.” Said to have been packed, with reputable names such as Thandiswa Mazwai, the journey to its execution was not without criticism. Many saw this as a form of re-instilling racial divides in a country that is on its way to a “rainbow” identity and with a very young democracy. The come-back from black men & women who were in support of the movement was that white people create platforms that have only white people all the time, who questions them? Yes, they do not necessarily call them ‘white,’ but everyone is well aware of the daunting economical & structural exclusion that occurs in this country.
response should have been two folded, the other part of it located in the fact that white producers almost always have an unwritten “black girls only” clause that they apply when looking for stories that will sell. Do we ever question them to that extent? We can’t deny that black femaleness sells right now (although still defined in white supremacy’s standards in accordance to their voyeurism of it), and white feminist producers cash in on it all the time. Yes, strangely enough, black womenism seems to taste sweeter when packaged by whiteness and sold back to us. We are told that the black female body is valorised, and thus, we are free. But I am finding some of the kinds of celebrations we pamphletize very problematic, particularly when it’s not a black woman who is behind all of it. Few black women’s narrative of beauty, rape and patriarchal frustrations have not been latched by a white female capitalist who sought to gain more from the story of this woman or who wanted to debut their career. I don’t doubt that there are partnerships that are sometimes forged here, but they are always grounded on the premises that “I am white and here to help you get a platform,” and not “I am white, nobody gives a shit about my story of privilege and quite frankly, I am not ready to be honest about it, black womenism sells and I am trying to cash in on it; I’ll open up the grounds to buyers and you’ll tell the story.”
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In light of this, black female body undoubtedly continues to face a lot of judgement, hatred, patronisation and belittlement from these producers. Also, in the general society where the black female resides, walking anywhere is the most violent activity one can ever do; there are whistles, spanks, touches, sexual comments and physical rape. There is an inclination to “cover up” because you could be inviting unwanted attention, because apparently, what women wear and how women behave is a prerogative of their male counterparts. Big ass and huge cleavages deserve to be covered with baggy clothing and apologies for being too exposed in professional business meetings that turn to awkward remarks and invitations to hotels. This narrative, which in white capitalist eyes is supposed to be our collective narrative does not change just because we wrote a play about it and got a white female producer. Black women still don’t have the right to wear bikinis the way white women do on the beach. We like to say, “It’s not our culture,” but often what we mean is, “No, girl, cover up – we don’t want to see all of your black body. We’re not comfortable seeing such a gigantic ass in full view. You’re going to make men horny and then you will cry foul when you get raped.” Black women’s idea of beauty is controlled too; according to media stereotypes, an okay black body type is Boity’s, not Sophie Ndaba, and in all of these comparisons and conflicts, we forget the socio-political context that this body faces on a daily basis, and that this very media rapes us as well.
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I believe in business ideas that seek to give the power back to the creators of the product – and I strongly feel that we need to start teaching black women how to make business out of their own stories. It’s not selling misery; if you don’t do it, trust me, there will be a white female who will do it. We can’t rely on whiteness to best describe how to celebrate our blackness because what they will do is make you a little bit whiter so that you are not too uncomfortable to look at for the white buyers. How many shades of blackness fall in the margins all the type in lack of representation? Khanyisile Mbongwa always speaks about how, as a black female, spaces demand of her to either be invisible of hypervisible and this is true. Beauty measures that “includeblack women always go for the one whose blackness is invisible (bleached, made-up, weave, etc) or the one whose blackness is hypervisible (extremely dark, very skinny and with natural hair), as if black people only exist in those binaries. I think black women are at the threshold of taking back the power that the entire society has over them by creating their own spaces, hence #ForBlackGirlsOnly was a historic event to all of us. I think the next step is to think along the lines of producing and capitalising on black women’s stories for black women. Trust me, we SERIOUSLY don’t need another European to latch on to our story, contain it and make shit loads of money from our healing process.
‘I strongly feel that we need to start teaching black women how to make business out of their own stories. It’s not selling misery; if you don’t do it, trust me, there will be a white female who will do it’
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Pinky-Pinky: The toko Sounds like a ridiculous childhood myth now but trust me, living through it was a nightmare for most of us at school at the time. Some of the kids were brave though. They were brave enough to sing out chants of invitation, which the beast supposedly sang when it introduced itself to targets and victims along the hallways leading up to the toilets. After the songs, it was said that the beast would then respond and demand a pink item from the victims thus punish them should they not deliver. What a socio-path!
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oloshe with a fetish BY Lutendo Malatji
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Images By: Yannis Davy Gubinga
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Motunrayo wears Sindiso Khumalo Aluta Paw- Paw dress from Merchants on Long, Yellow PumaXmcq Brace Lo (POR) from Puma SELECT
Photographer. Sarah Keogh Stylist. Monde Mtsi Make-up artist. Stacy Robi Models. Motunrayo & Imade From ISIS MODELS
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Imade wears Lalesso Shanga dress from Merchants on Long, Red PumaXmcq Brace Rope neckpiece(POR) from African ice
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Lo(POR) from Puma SELECT,
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Imade wears Sindiso Khumalo Yoko shirt and Sindiso Khumalo Lena shorts from Merchants on PumaXmcq Brace Lo (POR) From Puma SELECT
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n Long, Red
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TWENTY black business reviews
Mel Madiba Co-Founder of Yuppie Threads
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Yuppie Threads is a Proudly South African
brand that was founded in 2014 by Mel Madiba and Kayombo Magadla. Yuppie Threads epitomises its influences from the “Young Urban Professional” that seeks bespoke lifestyle items in clothing and homeware. Mel being an interior designer and Kayombo being a graphic designer, combined their skills to create top-notch products made out of wood, leather and fabric. Yuppie Threads is for the expressive individual who appreciates, simple, yet el oquent, hand crafted items. So far, Yuppie Threads makes brooches, T-shirts, cushions, clocks and has done the furniture in a creative office space. As a member of The J&B Hive, the brand’s vision includes expanding across various channels and product lines. Get hold of Yuppie Threads here : www.yuppiethreads.co.za melmadiba@gmail.com
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Belinda Phofu Founder of SIIC Jewellery
SIIC, which is an acronym
for Style Is Incalculable - is an alternative jewellery brand that Belinda Phofu started during her gap year that she had to take after matric because she couldn’t afford to go to Varsity. Described by Founder Belinda as ‘alternative’ because she takes everyday mundane objects and make jewellery out of them. Get hold of SIIC here : IG: @siicjewelry @belinda_ phofu Twitter: @siicjewelry Facebook: SIICjewellry www.siicjewelry.tumblr.com Email: belinda.phofu@gmail.com
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43 | TWENTY MAG
Jabulile Sopete Founder Of NINETO5 Corporate Clothing
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In early 2016, Jabu launched two businesses, which she is both founder and
creative director of. The first one being, NINETO5 Corporate Clothing – designers and suppliers of work uniforms; catering to different sectors including financial, travel, healthcare, and hospitality and cleaning services sectors. In her role as the Founder & Creative Director, she is responsible for brand development, business strategies, investor relations and sets directions. She also prepares business plan proposals; forge partnerships and hires staff members. She also runs a creative agency that represents up and coming and talented fashion stylists, make-up artists and photographers. The agency signs in young creatives and offers them a platform to develop their skills, and then connects them with their ideal roles within the fashion industry. The agency also offers services ranging from fashion editorials, personal shopping, style consultations and wardrobe organizing. Get hold of Jabu here: @jabusopote
45 | TWENTY MAG
46 | TWENTY MAG