Skateboarding as a Pure Form of Physical Expression with Yann-Xavier Horowitz

May 2, 2023 | Interviews, Community

As someone who has never done more than a feebly attempted glide across a tarmac street on a skateboard, but that has been adjacent to skateboarding’s dizzying effect on friends growing up; to skate, is to be cool. I don’t know how or why a bunch of compressed wood plies, bound by glue and finished with polyurethane wheels (that Dogtown scene is forever impressed upon my memory) has seemed to create a decade-spanning, planetary-wide scene of people as it has; creative, rebellious, and fiercely spirited, but it has – and it seems like skating is a new era, yet again. As a social and creative antidote to the restraints of this bizarre society we all find ourselves in, skaters like Yann-Xavier Horowitz are emblematic of just how potent the art of skating is; and how much it holds, in its ability to carve out communities and elicit creativity. As one of South Africa’s most beloved pro-skateboarders, Yann has grown up skating – professionally, personally and profoundly moulded by skateboarding. 

“My cousin got a skateboard when I was 10, and I was extremely jealous – I made a deal with my parents that if I got straight A’s at school, then they’d get me a board. That year I worked my little butt off, and got all A’s in everything except for Afrikaans. As soon as I got that first skateboard, that was kind of it; I knew this is what I wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to use my body, and I’ve always been a physical person – so if it wasn’t gymnastics, or acrobatics, it was going to be skating. Skatingboarding is a very pure form of physical expression.” In our conversation, I ask Yann what he thinks makes skateboarding so special, and hold that kind of aura that it does? To which he says, “I think it’s because you have to work so hard to progress at it – skating is not easy, at all – and it’s also very personal. You can skate your own way, in your style – it allows for a lot more individual expression. With skating you have to be willing to take risks, to make mistakes and get hurt in the process; I think there’s something really special about the people who are drawn to skating, and willing to go through those processes.”

Images by David Shiffman

Yann has skated professionally since he was a teenager – at a time when skating in the country offered opportunity beyond just a passion or hobby. Last year, I interviewed Miles Masterson, co-founder of the iconic Blunt Magazine – and from that I learned just how much the scene was able to change and show up in the world, post-1994. In terms of his own career path, Yann explains – “With skating, it’s really tough to make it into a career. I got my first sponsor at 14, and as soon as I realised people were willing to back me in that sense, I charted it out – if I could get recognition at 14, and continued to work really hard, by the time I was 18, I could be on the right trajectory. So, I left matric and went to Barcelona to pursue skateboarding – while it may have looked like a two year gap year, that time was really about networking. Meeting with the right pros, the right companies, and that’s kind of the only way to become pro is to put yourself out there.”  As a Baseline team rider, with sponsorships from Vans to Spitfire Wheels, Yann’s various wins has seen him skate all around the world. Yann explains what sets South African skaters apart, “When you start skateboarding, it’s all this innocence and love – it’s very pure, and about being present and just skating all day, trying new things. In terms of being a better skater, you realise quickly how much your ability needs to be able to translate into different terrains, different contexts. South Africa forged me in that, I can pretty much skate anywhere. We can thank the infrastructure, the way the ground is made, nothing is perfect here – so the rough spots here, in contrast to the really tidy and smooth European cities, actually defines most skaters who come from our country.” Skating is representative of a variety of socio-economic and cultural contexts. While the sport finds its origin in ‘70s Venice Beach, California – its spread, like wildfire, has seen its interpretation through the lens of the many people around the world who have made skateboarding their own. Yann offers a really beautiful way to understand this, saying “It’s actually a fascinating anthropological look at how skateboarding has developed; how architecture and infrastructure characterise various skate scenes around the world. So for example, South Africans have our own grittier, rougher way of skating – whereas Japanese skaters have adapted to smaller architecture, using quick-feet and creativity to navigate narrow spaces. South Africa gave me the chance to appreciate a crusty, bad spot. We are not polished skaters generally, which people tend to gravitate towards. We can pretty much skate anywhere if we can skate here in South Africa.”

Image by David Shiffman

At the moment, Yann is appreciating the intersections of creativity that surrounds his beloved art form, “I competed very heavily when I was younger, but it’s not what I’m craving right now – I’m focused on these really interesting creative intersections that weave in and around skateboarding as a profession and a culture. I’m doing a lot of film, and using skating as a springboard for performance. I’ve been developing these characters, and using a greenscreen at home – filming these skate videos – the last one I did, I covered myself in gold glitter and I’d pop up from the corner of the screen, and so that’s my new addiction. The next one I’m releasing is called ‘Mental Stable’ and it’s going to involve a lot of horse masks, and amalgamate cowboy fetish and skateboarding.” This kind of true creative expression, and delve into the performance potential of skating, is what makes Yann such a potent figure in the contemporary scene. Skating has always been a refuge for the original, the different – but it has also been, like almost any space or institution, a site for divisions. So, when Yann came out publicly, and kissed his boyfriend in celebration of winning the Vans Park Series African Continental Championships in 2018, this act made history; and opened up a realm of conversation within skating. I ask Yann about this, and what he feels about being queer and open; in a culture that right now often asks LGBTQIA+ people to be the face of inclusivity, to which he says, “I went through a period where I didn’t want to talk about being gay anymore, I just wanted to skate and get on being with being myself. As I got older, I’ve realised that I’m a voice I didn’t have when I was younger – I am in a very important position to be that voice for kids who are maybe going through what I went through, you know, being in the closet and not knowing how to love themselves for who they were born to be. So, I’ve flipped that around and I’ve actually been helping kids come out to their families, and I’m in a place where I’ve laid it out; people know, I’m as transparent as possible with who I am, and then I can just be that light for anyone who wants to ask questions. I really love it when people reach out to me with questions or issues, but I know that if I had someone like me when I was that age, I would have probably come out a lot sooner. Now, I love being a gay skateboarder – everything is so fluid these days, and it’s become less of a talking point, the world is becoming more of a place where so many people can just show up and be themselves.”

Images by David Shiffman

While skating competitively will always be the bedrock of Yann’s career, his future is now rooted in his creative potential through other mediums. Yann is heading to Los Angeles to kick-off filming for the next season of a show that he hosts, ‘A Simple Path’ for Insight TV, a seminal skate-travel show, “A Simple Path is actually a COVID baby. A friend of mine that’s worked for National Geographic and in film, called me up and was like ‘hey, I dunno about you, but I’m dipping into savings because I need to work like right now, you’re good in front of the camera, let’s film a pilot for a TV show that revolves around skate communities around the world?’ and I had nothing to lose at that point, except some money as it was all self-funded, and then two months later we got a phone call, and received a budget for 10 episodes. The whole premise of the show is to find creatives within the skate community – like musicians, sculptures, artists, tattoo artists – and we interview them about skating and their craft or passion, and how the two feed into each other. I’m so lucky, I get to travel to all these different countries and meet all these new people, and grow my international family more and more.” 

Now this is living. 

Keep a lookout here for updates of ‘A Simple Path’

Featured Image by David Shiffman

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Ghana’s Gyakie Releases ‘scar’ Featuring Uk Rapper JBEE

May 1, 2023 | New Release, Music

Rising Ghanaian afro-fusion artist Gyakie has teamed up with North London’s rap riser JBEE with her newest single ‘Scar’, a powerful and emotionally charged R&B cut laced with hip hop brought to life by Gyakie’s fierce flow over a drill beat crafted by JBEE. Gyakie tells the story of a love gone wrong from both sides – hers representing pain, and his centering on doubts and insecurities. 

‘Scar’ features ominous production underscored by heavy 808s with both artists providing hard-hitting lyrics juxtaposed by softer melodies showcased throughout JBEE’s verse. The juxtaposition on ‘Scar’ continues into the visuals which see Gyakie and JBEE both telling their sides of the love story before coming together in the final scenes with red tones used throughout, representing the love and pain in the story that features throughout ‘Scar’ directed by Craig Capone who has worked with artists such as Headie One, Sarkodie, Chipand Ms Banks on their visuals as well as Romara Blake who is known for her work with Eva Lazarus. 

Gyakie has been rising through the ranks since bursting onto the scene with her debut single ‘Love is Pretty’ in 2019. Since then she has collaborated with the likes of AKA, Diplo, Blaq Jerzee, Major League DJz, and Mayorkun. Her breakout single ‘Forever’ gained international recognition and has amassed over 150m streams across platforms.

North London’s JBEE is one of the go to fresh faces in British Rap paving a lane of his own. In 2021 he released ‘4AM’ gaining over 77 million streams, going onto currently reaching 3.7million monthly Spotify listeners. It’s no surprise he picked up a MOBO nomination for Best Newcomer at the end of last year. Gyakie spoke on working with London’s JBEE says “Working with JBEE brought a different dimension to Scar, for me this was such a great experience to bring our two sounds together to create a deep, yet catchy single that is relatable to audiences across the continents”. Speaking on the release JBEE said “I was in Ghana for New Year, even though it was the holiday season when Gyakie calls, you answer! We linked up in Ghana and ‘Scar’ was born. Even though I am London born and raised, I’m Ghanaian myself and I’m so happy we got to collaborate and make this track. I hope the fans love this one seeing two worlds collide!”

The collaborative track provides heart wrenching insight into contemporary relationships laced with authenticity that is sure to resonate with music fans across continents.

Stream ‘Scar’ HERE.

A ‘Visual Returning’ with photographer Celeste Jacobs

Apr 28, 2023 | Interviews, Creatives

In an age where just about anyone can be self-styled as a photographer (smartphones and all) – and where all of our perspectives are rightly up for review across social media; photographers like Celeste Jacobs bring the medium to its most simple and tender form. A moment of synchronicity led us to this conversation, starting with her image ‘Gone Fishing’; a crimson and grey plastic trolley, lamenting in the arctic-blue waters of a swimming pool. Shot by Celeste using 35mm, the composition is startling. Simplicity, as Celeste explains to me, is actually one of the most challenging things to do; “My images are the way I see the world. I want to acknowledge the chaos and complexities that exist, but I also want to show that there is room for peace and calm in the world; I try to simplify what I see, and how I capture that. I actually think simplification is really challenging, because we get caught up in the details. My images are a return to origin, visually and thematically.” The contrast of a hardened plastic object (an edifice of human consumption) and the cooling waters might exist, in material terms, as tense oppositions – but this image, through Celeste’s eye, is totally serene. It is to the point, precise – peaceful. 

As a polymathic writer and photographer, Celeste’s background is decidedly contemporary; for many years, she has done many things and doesn’t prescribe to any singular notions of ‘just choose one’, saying, ‘’When I first studied, I did one year of an LLB – I call it my gap year now – and then moved into humanities, so I graduated with a BSocSci degree and then did an honours in organisational psychology. That led to my work in training & development in Human Resources, where I found what I loved which was program writing and development. Then I went into magazines, and then marketing and PR – I’ve done quite a few different things. With that has come strategic content development, like B2B or B2C, across things like art, music, decor, design, social entrepreneurship.” This human-centric, word-focused background and Celeste’s latter venture into image-making sees the synthesis of two things I believe in wholeheartedly; visual story-telling and the written word are irrevocable soulmates – better together, always. As Celeste explains, “I have always been a visual person, and I like the idea of words and images living together – there’s a harmony in that. I had a digital camera, and then it got jacked, and I had thought in 2020 – when we all needed an excuse to get out the house – maybe I should start taking photographs, again. I got my first film camera, after really only using digital or disposables – and started shooting 35mm. Now, I shoot both 35mm and medium format, the latter being a really exciting space to test out different dimensions and proportions.”

'Almost compulsory, 2021.'
It takes as long as it takes, 2021, by Celeste Jacobs.
'Painted the blue that was left of me red, 2022.'

Film photographers are special beings; the comfort of analogue and the willingness to surrender to a process requires a kind of inner softness that film images tend to reveal – even of the harshest scenes or most intense terrains.  Celeste’s work is proportionally-focused – so much so that her work has been featured twice on cult-website ‘Accidentally Wes Anderson’ – a community-based project that takes submissions from around the globe, of moments captured and seemingly plucked from the iconic filmmaker’s whimsical, pastel-drenched, angularly precise visual worlds. One of them, an image she captured of The African Trading Port building at the Waterfront,  was on show in Seoul and currently showing in Tokyo. Celeste is honing her own kind of mastery of objects and scenery as sites of extracting emotion; ‘The Pause’ features two plastic, pastel chairs meeting a wave on the shoreline, a kind of embrace between them – how is possible to evoke emotion with no emotionally-driven people within the image? Celeste says, “It’s strange because I love people so much, but I really don’t gravitate towards capturing people in my work. I find it’s quite soothing to shoot inanimate things, there’s a learning to that, and more specifically – it feels like a refuge. Objects hold inherent meaning and power to each of us, so they can be even more powerful from a subjective, viewer’s perspective. I always shoot things that are relevant to me, as an escape or solace, and if that becomes something that can be a part of a show, or sold as a print – that’s beautiful, but I want it to remain this precious process that I do quite intimately with myself, and the way I want to convey the reality that I see.” Suddenly, within three years, a whole new craft and community has appeared before Celeste; I ask whether she might consider it as a full-time career, to which she says, ““Photography is another avenue to tell stories, but with writing – I think I always want to have the flexibility to go between the two. I shot the Woolworths X Karabo Poppy campaign last year, and that was amazing – to be able to work in a commercial, or production, environment. I am open to many things. I think the kind of fluidity we have nowadays is incredible, and there’s a few spaces so many of us can find our feet in.”

Karabo Poppy x Woolworths 2022 by Celeste Jacobs.
'Accidentally Wes Anderson.'

Currently, Celeste’s work can be seen at SMAC Gallery in Johannesburg, as part of a group show titled ‘Everyday Captures’. The show’s notes read below;  

“In the rush to get from one ‘to do’ to the next, we miss things. We miss the stillness in between checkboxes and obligations and we miss the breathing room that comes with it. We miss the opportunities for laughter and joy. We miss what we need. The Everyday Captures exhibition is an invitation to pause – at a streetlight-light corner store, on the edge of a sunny pool, in the eyes of a stranger – and take it all in.

Inhale levity and irreverence in the work of Themba Mbuyisa, Luske Biermann and Ryan Swart, with snapshots that look in on intimate moments hidden in plain sight. Elu Eboka’s poignant yet approachable portrait of a Queen Mother and Thalente Khomo’s reflection on the beauty of still water will invite you to take a moment for yourself and your people, to remember that sometimes simply being is enough. Ashley Walters’ work celebrates the solace of both a silent street and a stirring samba, reminding us that rest has more than one face. In the studio work of Delmaine Donson and Marta Scavone, the viewer finds tension unravelled in the absence of the expected and proper. Celeste Jacobs’ slices of life make the case for more carefree living, unburdened by the fear of disorder. Each photograph asks us for a tribute of the time we neglect to give ourselves, only to hand it right back to us as a beautiful experience of the many sources, forms, and styles of stillness.”

'Night air, 2022.'
'The pause, 2022.'
'To the flame, 2022.'

In this wildly subjective, innately complex existence; photography is a craft that rests in ‘the art of living’ – as Celeste puts it, “I’m really excited to be with a variety of emerging and established photographers in this group show, where we are presenting everyday captures or occurrences – I think that’s what makes this medium so interesting, because there’s a certain presence in capturing a scene, or person, just as it is, in real life. Even if that’s staged or seems to be arranged – that was a real moment in the world that we share.I definitely didn’t ever think that this tentative ‘hobby’ would become so integral to who I am now, and it’s amazing to be a part of this wider community of photographers.”

Lastly, on the idea of what it means to be multidisciplinary in an exceedingly complicated century, Celeste perfectly says. “It’s giving renaissance!” 

Everyday Captures is on at SMAC Gallery in Johannesburg until 20 May 2023.

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Chapter 15 | Major moments, Haikus and Reviews: Ulindelwe’s Snapshot of SAFW SS23

Apr 27, 2023 | Interlude

In the immortal words of Lady Gaga, “There could be 100 people in the room and 99 of them haven’t hijacked an INTERLUDE from Holly and it just takes 1. I’m the one.” No, you aren’t confused and yes, you are on the right page. The chaos has entered the chat. Do not exit this page before you get to the end, okay? Okay, I admit that may have been a little much for you to stomach on first read but give me a chance. 

Amanda Laird Cherry 2010 Show

In case you don’t know me, I am Ulindelwe Ratsibe and I am here to break down SA Fashion Week. I love fashion and I have been professionally screaming into the void about fashion for approximately 2-3 years. I love long walks on the beach, Glenn Martens, and complaining. I have successfully tricked the team at CEC into letting me talk about SA Fashion Week and I am here to keep it cute but tell the truth.

Thebe Magugu at SAFW 2017

Tis’ the season for South African Fashion. South African Fashion Week, which started in 1997, is the premier event for South African fashion. With 26 years under its belt, it has launched the careers of many of the household names in our fashion industry such as Loxion Kulca, Jacques van der Watt and Mmuso Maxwell. I think what’s incredible about this gathering is that it manages to give young designers a platform to showcase their incredible talents. To give you some context, the youngest of the big 4 fashion weeks is London which started in 1983, and comparatively, SAFW has accomplished so much in such a short period of time.

This season we had a FANTASTIC variety of brands showcasing for SS23 (I know, it’s a little confusing with the transeasonality of the shows). There are certain connotations that come with the specific season that is showing, but, by now, everyone has made their own script and is following that version of events. It’s also one of the things that make it interesting. Every designer is allowed to do what they want and show how they want. After suffering through a boring history lesson (Fine it wasn’t boring but it definitely wasn’t what you were looking for) it’s time to get to the part you have all been waiting for. The fashions.

Major Moment #1: The BAM Collective

One thing about The BAM Collective is that they’re unapologetically BAM. Their brand DNA is hard to miss because when you see a piece, you know it’s BAM. The collection, titled ‘Aestheticism’, is an exploration of “the concept of vanity and all its synthetic and organic manifestations.” While some would call this a departure, I think it’s another tier of the brand’s identity. The weird and wacky lines and shapes that are characteristically BAM are all there but with a surgical eye. Crisp circular shapes unfold around the wrist and the waist of sharp trousers. There are wonderful knits and PLUS SIZED MODELS. (I could go into a whole diatribe about accurate representation on South African runways but have chosen to give you this long and unnecessary side note that I refuse to anthro-pologise for) This collection gave me chic executive realness and feeds into my theory that we might be gearing up to dress for social settings like we are going to the office again. 

What a beautiful moment but unfortunately, I cannot possibly try and give every brand a full dissection. To try and give everyone a spotlight, I have decided to write a little segment (this is a ploy to try and convince the team at CECZA to let me write more for them) called: 

Reviews as Haikus!

SAFWSS23 Black Coffee

Black Coffee:
Black and white runway
Muted tone surrealism
Well done Black Coffee

SAFWSS23 Gugu

Gugu by Gugu:
Ornate and Detailed
Proudly Xhosa DNA
Considered Menswear

SAFWSS23 Mantsho

Mantsho:
Afro-goddess chic
Delicious Stylings and prints
Welcome to her world

Major Moment #2 : Fashion Bridges Viviers Studio and Federico Cina

Fashion Bridges has become a big fixture in every season because of the excitement that accompanies it. Fashion Bridges is a partnership created by the Italian Embassy in South Africa which transports parts of our fashion worlds to each other. This season was very important as this was the first time Viviers Studio would be showcasing at SAFW. There’s a little glitch in the matrix. It doesn’t make sense that this is the first time because they have become such a fixture in the South African Fashion context independently. I actually didn’t know who Federico Cina was until they were announced and that’s no shade. I was introduced to DROMe by this project and now I am obsessed with them (who can forget the Italian Ambassador saying “She’s young. She’s talented. She’s famous. DROMe!”) I digress (tell me something new).

 

There is one thing that I must say. THE CASTING of these shows was spectacular. I don’t think any show could light a candle to the casting. Cina shows a deeply considered reflection on home and what that word means. Using tapestries and intriguing prints coupled with distressing and raw edges, it transports us to this rough and playful childhood without ever being childlike. Viviers Studio transports us to the Karoo and explores the terrain intelligently through textile and photographic prints. With interesting Jewellery by Kirsten Goss and my cheeky favourite accessory being the Shoprite leather bag by Cape Cobra Leathercraft, this show stays focused on the mysticism and state of the Karoo. This show was excellent and possibly the main highlight of Fashion Week.

It’s that time of the show (Yes, I am calling this a show because I have paraded myself for your entertainment) where I condense my thoughts about a brand’s latest collection into 17 syllables. It’s –

Reviews as Haikus! (Part 2)

Ephymol
Ephymol in green
Hiding in tailored glamour
Camouflage Supreme

SAFWSS23 Refuse

Refuse Clothing Brand:
Delightful Streetwear
Clean but full of edgy risks
Fabulous graphics

SAFWSS23 Fikile Sokhulu

Fikile Sokhulu:
Full billowing sleeves
A push for commercial-wear
Where can I buy you

Major Moment #3: Mr Price New Talent Search Competition.

Everyone is always looking at this particular show as it is a reflection of the most exciting brands who are ready to take the next step. This is all about the new and fresh. The upcoming designers presented their take on prints. This season, Mr Price joined as the sponsor for the competition, with their shoes appearing on the runway. The potential impact of this partnership is incredible and will elevate so many young designers in the future.

The competition was incredibly tight and each of those designers put so much effort into their work. I definitely want to commend Cyla Gonsolves on her win and wonderful collection. Her whimsical pastel-elegant looks were a confection. Someone I thought was right on her tail was Artae. I loved their use of print and the silhouettes to create this image of the girl on the go who had a little too much fun in art class, looked in the mirror and said, “I am stunning; hear me slay.” It was my favourite for sure. Another designer I would like to shout out is Oyama Gonintebe who has this very slick collection but I wish they had focused on one print and then developed that motif. One of the highlights of this show was the returning victor, Thando Ntuli who presented her collection titled Isikhathi. When you have a masterclass in how to do it, you better take notes.

SAFWSS23 Cycla Gonsolves
SAFWSS23 Artae
SAFWSS23 Oyama Gonintebe

As I step out on the stage like the end of an episode of Saturday Night Live, I have to advocate for all of you to go to the pages of each designer you enjoyed and buy something. One of the positives of supporting South African fashion is that our labour law protects workers from outright exploitation. All of the designers showing at SAFW have sustainability on their minds in varying capacities. Most importantly, tell your friends about these brands. Engagement improves visibility and that’s how you get to show your support if you can’t afford to buy into the brand.

One of the things I wrestled with was how many people invited were brought to increase awareness. I know that this is how the game works,  but I would love to see more buyers from African countries. While more people watching is important, the more we see our brands stocked and purchased, the more that brings back to our economy. To think on an insular level will only hinder our growth as an emerging fashion ecosystem. As we watch SA Fashion Week, we want to watch new talent but also we need to retain our talent. That is done by creating a lucrative platform that not only provides awareness but helps them turn that awareness into sales.

This brings you to the end of my Interlude takeover. SA Fashion Week is always an important time because the fashion industry coalesces and important discussions are had. I always walk away from it knowing more, seeing more and complaining more. If you loved it, I’m Ulindelwe. If you didn’t enjoy it, my name is Holly Beaton.

I’ll be here all week- try the quiche.

Loves it,
Ulindelwe

Images courtesy of Eunice Driver
Written by: Ulindelwe Ratsibe

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

‘The Great Escape’ – A run down of Thabo Bester & Dr Nandipha’s Criminal Saga

Apr 26, 2023 | News, Community

Where do we even begin with this one, fellow South Africans? For the last month, the nation has been enthralled by the seemingly surreal and eerie saga of convicted Facebook rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester, and his accomplice Dr Nandipha Mangudmana – a self-styled celebrity doctor and social media influencer. There are so many levels to this drama, and the more glued that I remain to eNCA’s coverage (senior reporter Sli Masikane deserves an award for her work) as it reveals the intense levels of corruption rotting at the centre of all of our institutions, the more I find myself dumbfounded by the existential dread of our world. While there are many angles to discuss – from the prison industrial complex, gender-based violence, corruption, multi-national influences on the state, murder – it seems the most obvious takeaway from all of this is; money really can buy you anything. Money, it seems, is the tool at the heart of this crime; money for its power, money for its control, scams that reap money and grease the right hands, and the way money portrays people in a different social status, and thus more favourably in the eyes of society.  

Thabo Bester, a certified scam-artist, abuser, rapist and murderer managed to run a multi-million Rand FAKE media company from the Mangaung Correctional Centre, co-conspired with Dr Nandipha, while also reportedly going and out of prison, aided by officials, for luxury long weekends in Ballito. Then, in a startingly turn of events, it was reported that in May 2022, he had died by arson-inflicted suicide in his jail cell. Well, so we thought. Rather, Thabo Bester, aided by a variety of people (Dr Nandipha, her father, prison officials and reported higher-ranking officials) was smuggled out of prison, to live thereafter in Sandton, Johannesburg in a R12 Million home, going by the name ‘TK Mkwana’. A convicted rapist and murderer was unleashed into the country, unbeknownst to his victims, or to anyone whose safety might be threatened. Not until the heroes at GroundUp, a NPO news agency, began breaking the news that we, as the public of South Africa, were brought into the fold of what Mangaung Prison (run by British conglomerate G4S, one of only two privately owned prisons in the country), G4S and the Department of Correctional Services tentatively knew about for just under a year. In a story touted by online commentators as the makings of a South African Netflix Special; Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha were spotted via cellphone footage purchasing groceries at Woolworths in Sandton, as reported by GroundUp’s multiple instalment journalistic investigation. With metadata proving the authenticity of the image, national outrage ensued – and then, without a trace, Dr Nandipha and Thabo Bester had fled the country, becoming fugitives across the continent. Police Minister Bheki Cele quickly came to the forefront, stating various things in his multiple press conferences to assuage the public  that ‘they were close to catching them’ and that ‘police inaction was a strategic part of the investigation until now’ – in other words, the incompetence of SAPS continued to dimly light the way. If it were not for the police force in Tanzania, the discovery and arrest of Bester and Magudumana might not have taken place as it did, in the early hours of Friday morning on the 7 April near the Tanzanian and Kenyan border.

Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha caught in Tanzania /// source: @chriseldalewis / Twitter 
Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s father, Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni and former G4S prison warder Senohe Matsoara appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on 11 April 2023 /// source: @AphumeleleMdla2 / Twitter 

As officials from South Africa dispatched to Tanzania to deal with the matter, parliamentary proceedings concurrently began by the National Assembly and a host of brilliant MPs. With EFF’s Yoliswa Yako, DA’s Glynnis Breytenbach and ANC’s Anthea Ramolobeng among the members who fiercely and meticulously grilled G4S Director Cobus Groenewould, Mangaung Correctional Centre’s Director Joseph Monyante and Audit and Risk Director Gert Byleveld – these proceedings were perhaps the only comfort in this whole saga – that when truly able to, our MPs can enact on behalf of us, a commitment to truth and justice. Initially, G4S sent their legal representatives to the first meeting; much to the dismay of the National Assembly. After requesting a court summons, G4S managed to show face (and retain parliamentary privilege) – with a number of bizarre truths coming to light. The escape aside, which I implore you to read in the the incredible journalistic coverage by Ground-Up and subsequently by platforms like Mail & Guardian, eNCA, Daily Maverick and so on – Thabo Bester arrived at Mangaung Correctional Centre as a ‘high-risk prisoner’ whom guards were warned to not engage with due to manipulative tendencies. It has been reported that since 2017, Dr Nandipha had been visiting the prisoner; allegedly they met back in 2006, and have had an on and off relationship. It seems that the two have been engaged in a very long, toxic relationship – to which Tiktok commenters have been saying, “Dr Nandi, all this for a MAN?”.

The award for most luxurious prison-stays certainly goes to Bester – although, in all his narcissistic, social pariah energy – this whole circus has certainly made the secrecy-coded ndotas of the Nommer shriek with laughter, countrywide. Thabo Bester was allowed to participate in online education, as can be conducted by prisoners, and so through completing a ‘graphic design course’  was able to retain his personal laptop. The very laptop that he used to commit fraud in his various scams, even streaming live into an event for his company ‘21st Century Media’ networking event, orchestrated by he and Dr Nandipha, attended by a host of South African celebrities. Please watch the video here – of Bester under his alias ‘Tom’, being sung Happy Birthday to, suited up in what was presumably an area of the prison. You really can’t make this shit up. Bester’s business record, 21st Century Media & Sky Digital among others, are described by Mail & Guardian as blatant and almost laughable copies of legitimate companies; apparently, Bester’s graphic design course from prison taught him the subtle art of subliminal, psychological techniques in advertising; “ ‘Sky Digital’, the logo of which was displayed on a banner at the 21st Century Media launch event and bore a striking resemblance to the logo of the UK-based television network Sky News. The logos for 21st Century Media and 21st Century Group displayed on the banner were also very similar to those of their real counterparts. Promotion social media posts for the “Women in Media” conference include a logo for ‘UBS Group’, which is almost identical to the logo of the Swiss investment giant UBS.”

The duo caught buying orange juice in Woolies, Sandton - photo supplied to Ground Up, who broke the story of Thabo Bester’s escape /// source: groundup.org.za
The R12 Million Hyde Park mansion that Bester and Magudumana occupied after his escape, and subsequently fled from when the news of their crimes broke /// source: Alaister Russell

Bonnie & Clyde sentiments aside, it appears that Dr Nandipha was a more than willing accomplice; going so far as to expose her young daughters to her relationship with Thabo Bester, when he eventually lived with them after his escape. Since her arrest, it has been reported that Dr Nandipha is bargaining with the police to expose the depth and breadth of Bester’s crimes; such as provides details on the missing domestic worker and gardener (believed to be buried at their Hyde Park mansion), and the details of how the young man identified as the burned body in Bester’s jail cell, Katlego Mpholo, arrived at the end of his life in such a cruel and sickening manner. The Mpholo family, who were informed only recently, that their missing son (whom they had been searching for since March 2022) will be suing the state, who are yet to disclose just how Katlego’s body (and the blunt force trauma identified to be the cause of death, not the fire) ended up in cell 35 at Mangaung Correctional Centre. This comes in after it has been reported that Dr Nandipha attempted to have three bodies released to her from a mortuary in Bloemfontein. So, what happened? Did they murder and hide Katlego’s body, or did they retrieve a missing person from a mortuary, despite his family continually checking morgues and hospitals since his disappearance? With so many headache-inducing details surrounding this case, I’d like to bring it back to my initial statement, one that multiple experts have weighed in on: Thabo Bester could not have done close to anything he did in and outside of prison, without bribing many, many people. Right now, the five co-accused are the low-level tip of the iceberg; with Thabo and Dr Nandipha at the centre of it. Once again, innocent people are held hostage by the corruptive transactions that have seeped their way into every aspect of our country’s institutions; whether public or private, as demonstrated by G4S’ handling of this entire debacle. If you’d like to know more about G4S, I refer you to the work of journalist Ruth Hopkins – who has spent much of her career exposing the insidious inner-workings of our prison system, least not ‘The Misery Merchants’ specifically exposing G4S and the Mangaung facility. 

This case is unfolding, with more arrests allegedly ahead – only time will tell just how much the National Prosecuting Authority will succeed in bringing the full truth to light. In its wake, this criminal saga – though Hollywood-style it seems – leaves the Mpholo family mourning their son Katlego’s life, two people potentially buried in a garden in Hyde Park, and the victims and their family’s of Thabo Bester, traumatised and confused by how a convicted prisoner could do more harm, nearly to avail. What a strange episode in South Africa’s story this is, indeed. 

Featured Image of Thabo Bester by Frikkie Kapp, Gallo Images and Dr. Nandipha by Nigel Sibanda.

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Savanna X Wanda Lephoto X Metalabs launch world-first recycled NFT via auction

Apr 26, 2023 | News, Fashion

Savanna Premium Cider has partnered with the prolific South African designer Wanda Lephoto to bring you the limited-edition fashion collection ‘Dry Goods’ – waterproof apparel for a world underwater, only available for sale to persons over the age of 18.

This premium range, made from recycled materials, goes beyond the aesthetics of ‘dope’ and makes a meaningful statement about sustainability by embracing the inevitability of climate change. As the ultimate dry brand, it only makes sense that in a world of rising sea levels, melting icebergs and unpredictable weather, they would create a clothing range that would allow you to stay dripping and dry, even when you’re dripping wet.

The streets are not the place where this range is to be found. Savanna Dry goods are also coming to the Metaverse near you. With the help of Wanda Lephoto and Metalabs Africa, Savanna’s has created a unique set of digital collectables which brings this campaign’s sustainability message to the digital realm.

Wanda Lephoto has created six different one-of-one outfits designed to be 3D modelled and rendered into digital collectables by the NFT gurus at Metalabs. An auction for these collectables commenced on the 25th of April on the Nifty Gateway digital art auction platform, where each of the NFTs will have been minted on the Ethereum Network. The Ethereum blockchain’s recent transition from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake makes it the only viable network to mint eco-friendly digital collectables. Since it undertook the transition, its electricity consumption and carbon footprint have decreased by 99.988 % and 99.992%, respectively. 

However, as a campaign with a real intent to make a statement about society’s attitude towards sustainable living, they knew they couldn’t simply stop at creating NFTs. They had to take a step further. So Savanna, Wanda and Metalabs asked themselves – what happens to disused NFTs? Which gave them an idea. For the first time anywhere, ever, Savanna, in partnership with Wanda and Metalabs, has created a digital collectable comprised of the data of burnt NFTs, recycled through design, thereby effectively creating the world’s first recycled NFT. This first of its kind digital piece will be placed on auction for one day only on the 29 th of April and also on the Nifty Gateway platform. The recycled data garment will be accompanied by a digital avatar usable in most metaverses.

100% of the proceeds from the sale of the ‘Dry Goods’ premium waterproof apparel range collaboration between Savanna and Wanda Lephoto, including the digital collectables, will be donated to GreenUp, a leading organisation focused on climate action, environmental education, and community resilience.

Image 1: CAMOUFLAGE AND PLAID PRINT CLASH TRENCH COAT WITH UTILITY VEST POCKETS
Image 2: DESTRUCTED PLAID MUSLIN SUIT
Image 3: YELLOW PUFFER SUIT JACKET
Image 4: EXTENDED PUFFER COAT
Image 5: DOUBLE PLAID CHECK DRESS
Image 6: YELLOW TRENCH COAT WITH TYPE 2 SAVANNA ACACIA TREE AND PLAID PATCH WORK JACKET

FOR AUCTION DETAILS, HEAD HERE.

Savanna promotes responsible drinking. Not for persons under 18. 

/// “Waterproof apparel for a world underwater” Campaign 
Photography : Andrea Baioni, Warren Van Rensburg & Paul Samuels (Lampost)
Film Director : Mzonke Maloney (Carbon Films)
Agency Grey/WPP Team Liquid
Brand : Savanna Cider
Make-up : Alex Botha
Hair : Saadique Ryklief
Models : Kopano Selebano, Yemi Okesokun, Curtis Cornwall, Anke Gabler, Khaya Ngubane

A re-release of the late, great Terry Callier’s ‘Hidden Conversations’ in collaboration with Massive Attack

Apr 25, 2023 | New Release, Music

The late, great Terry Callier was an icon and inspiration to many; his work on Cadet Records with Charles Stepney and Elektra in the 70s made him a cult artist. After coming out of musical semi-retirement and returning to the stage in the 90s, Terry’s light continued to shine, wowing both old and new audiences with the exquisite beauty his music and voice channelled. 

Following his stunning performance at the 2008 Meltdown Festival, curated by Massive Attack, Terry teamed up with the legendary British trio, which resulted in ‘Hidden Conversations’. Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja co-wrote ‘Wings’, ‘John Lee Hooker’, and ‘Live With Me’. The combination of Robert Del Naja’s haunting production and Terry’s captivating, emotive vocals fused beautifully. Terry collaborated with the producers Christopher Grabowski and Mark Hardy on the remaining other songs on the album. 

Originally released on CD only in 2009, this new RSD edition is the first time it has been available on vinyl and comes housed in a tip-on sleeve, 180g black vinyl, and features an OBI strip with new cover art and design by Mr Krum.

Stream ‘Hidden Conversations’ HERE

Comic Con Cape Town 2023 is happening this weekend!

Apr 24, 2023 | News, Community

Unleash your superhero alter ego at the highly anticipated Comic Con Cape Town next weekend (27 to 30 April) at CTICC 2. With dress up, numerous free-to-play gaming areas, tabletop gaming, shopping, movie screenings, activations and so much more on offer, families are in for a weekend to remember!

Cosplay – which stands for costume play – is one of the best ways to embrace the Comic Con spirit. For families looking to fully submerge themselves in the experience as a group, family cosplays are a fun bonding moment for everyone to enjoy, and not as uncommon as one might think. Meanwhile, along with the kids, parents can enjoy learning more about the most binge worthy series from the stars themselves. Comic Con Cape Town’s celeb line-up includes Aaron from The Walking Dead (Ross Marquand) and Tati Gabrielle – who features in the movie adaptation of the game Uncharted, as well as Netflix’s You. Kat Graham is also joining this year and is known for her role in Vampire Diaries and the romcom Love in the Villa on Netflix. The line-up also includes – David Oakes from Vikings Valhalla, and Jason R Moore from Marvel’s The Punisher. Fans will discover some personal and behind the scenes information as well as get to know these incredible talents even better, and even meet them face-to-face over an autograph or photo op that is perfect for the fridge!

For aspiring content creators, StreamerCon is an exciting addition to the con floor. In this space, fans can learn more about what it takes to get into content creation as a career across all platforms including YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch – as well as meeting some of South Africa’s top local streamers.

More than dressing up and celebrities, the Artist Alley will inspire young and old fans alike. An incredible amount of local talent as well as international artists will be showcasing their work – some of which have worked on major Marvel and DC comic books. Fans can get signed copies of prints, comics, and other merchandise from the creators that bring their favourite superheroes to life, as well as discover a few new ones along the way. Taking home mementos will be easy, you can start or expand any collection with the vast range of merchandise related to each aspect of the con at exhibitor stands. From clothing items, accessories, graphic novels, collectibles, to even action figures – you name it, the Con has it. Harry Potter wands, incredible statues, and the most unique memorabilia will be for sale.

The gaming area will offer free-play as well as numerous free-to-play tournaments across the weekend – allowing anyone in the family to hop on a console and try their hand at FIFA, racing simulators, Fortnite, and more! Families could even win cash prizes for gaming with the Doritos Crunch Cup tournaments which happen daily.

RGB and Eduvos will be hosting a tournament on the con floor, which also highlights the connection between gaming and education. For animation lovers, the collocated Cape Town International Animation festival will host workshops, panel discussions and screenings throughout the weekend. With incredible local content to see, and one ticket giving you access to both shows on Thursday and Friday, families are encouraged to pop by and marvel at the work done in South Africa, as well as learn about the numerous career opportunities this industry offers.

A limited number of tickets are available on Howler. 

Make sure to check out the Comic Con Cape Town Website for more information on the programme to plan your day.

* Children are required to be attended by a guardian at all times, Comic Con Cape Town does not offer a child drop zone or childcare facilities. Kids 5 and under enter free.

Meet the Design Futures Lab 2023 Creatives

Apr 24, 2023 | News, Community

This year a musicians, artisanal fashion designers, culture activists and artists join cutting-edge photographers, filmmakers and creative technologists for the second edition of Design Futures Lab. After considerable deliberation, six Zimbabweans and six South Africans will participate in a four-day workshop from 9 to 12 May in Cape Town, before they create an immersive sustainable fashion prototype,“Year two of the Design Futures Lab brings with it a new cohort of talented creatives and technologists committed to sustainability and we can’t wait to support their experimentation in the XR futures of fashion and design,” says Electric South’s Antoinette Engel. The creatives will work in six teams of two. Each team receives a grant of R60 000.00 to develop their concepts. The digital lab (including a one-day workshop about sustainable fashion) will train and inspire the participants in preparation for their projects. The deadline to submit their final prototypes is in August.

Multi-disciplinary artist, Larah Fischer (aka Luh’ra) who will be working with Keith Dliwayo, says, “We feel honoured to be selected and so excited about expanding our current skills set, learning news skills, and having some fun!” The Design Futures Lab is a collaborative project aimed at promoting young talent through driving innovation. Design Futures Lab invites artisans to explore the connection between extended reality and sustainable fashion.“We are delighted to welcome twelve creatives to join us this year to hear from experts about the latest developments in sustainable fashion,” says Jackie May, founder of Twyg. The Project Partners are Electric South, Twyg, Korokoza, Crossover Labs and is supported by the British Council. Tawanada Mudonga of Korokoza, the lab’s new partner, says, “We are so proud to be a part of this groundbreaking collaboration and excited about an initiative which is sure to change the digital technologist landscape in Southern Africa.”

Final selection of creatives ///

Tarryn Tippens (aka Bambi) and Larnelle Bakala

/// Tarryn Tippens | Artist and Designer
 Tarryn Tippens is an artist and designer based in Johannesburg/Cape Town, South Africa. Creating under the pseudonym ‘Bambi’, her label of the same name is rooted firmly in small scale, handmade garments; with an emphasis on knitwear and handcrafting. Using natural fibres and local fibres, her design practice is bound by her commitment to eco-dyeing with natural dyes, repurposing and up-cycling – weaving together a vision for a more intimate relationship between garments and the wearer. Tarryn believes in energetically imbuing her clothing intention and seeks to create in line with a critically aware perspective of human and planetary health. Incorporating an exploration into crystal healing practices in the design process, alongside research and application of textiles as an intangible, healing component for the body, Tarryn’s work exists at the intersection of cultural, social and ecological evolution beyond the dire “fast fashion” system. 

Follow Tarry Tippens on Instagram @bambi.com

/// Larnelle Bakala | Filmmaker, Director and Photographer
Larnelle Bakala is a 25-year- old filmmaker, director and photographer based in Cape Town, South Africa. Bakala has worked with musicians such as Uncle Waffles and brands such as Nike, to create films that help African youth tell stories about their unique experiences in the creative industry. Bakala is inspired by community and by bringing people together through storytelling, as he believes this promotes learning and growth by leaning on each other. 

Follow Larnelle Bakala on Instagram @lordnelle

Tarryn Tippens / BAMBI
Larnelle Bakala

Siza Mukwedini and Plot Mhako

/// Siza Mukwedini | New Media Content Producer
Siza is a Film and New Media Content Producer based in Zimbabwe. To Siza, storytelling is the oldest form of communication and that is the medium we choose to tell stories that are ever-changing. She has committed her life to staying knowledgeable about new media and new technologies. An IT specialist and technology fanatic, Siza has produced a wide array of content, from AR pieces, photo and surface-based, 360 filming and photography, VR world building, and animation. She is the founder of Matamba Film Labs for Women. The labs train women on new media storytelling tools and connect them to opportunities. In 2015, Siza was selected for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders for her role in using film as a tool for social engagement. She has produced various award-winning current affairs and documentary features on women and development issues for renowned broadcasters such as the BBC, Al Jazeera and VOA. 

Follow Siza Mukwedini on Instagram @SizaMukwedini

/// Plot Mhako | Creative Director, Journalist, Digital creator and Youth Culture Activist
Plot Mhako is a creative director, journalist, digital creator and youth culture activist from Zimbabwe. He is co-founder of Jibilika Dance Trust, a youth culture incubator, and digital creator and founder of the award winning earGROUND Digital Media. Plot documents and amplifies creative voices. He is also co-curator of Amplifaya festival and the Creative Business Conference, as well as the co-artistic director of Mafuwe International Festival of Dance. He is also co-founder of Kuenda Productions a multi-disciplinarian, and intercultural production company working in Dance, Theatre, Music, visual art and management operating in Uganda, Zimbabwe and Germany; co-organiser of the Zimbabwe Hip Hop Summit, Zimdancehall Summit; co-founder and organiser of SKATE ZIMBABWE which works to empower youths in communities. Plot is a fellow with the Mandela Washington Fellowship (Young Africa Leadership Initiative) YALI 2015, International Society For Performing Arts (ISPA) 2016 and 2020, International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) Hip Hop and Civic Engagement Fellow (2012) 

Follow Plot Mhako on Instagram @plotmhako

Siza Mukwedini
Plot Mhako

Larah Fischer (aka Luh’ra ) and Keith Dliwayo (aka Keith Virgo)

/// Larah Fischer | Artist:
 Luh’ra is a Cape Town based artist who expresses herself through music. With a degree in architecture and a background in numerous creative fields, Luh’ra is a well-rounded artist who encompasses music, art, photography, film, food, events and fashion. Her skill sets have led her to work in leading companies within these fields. Following her architecture degree, she interned with architecture firm URBA. Within the contemporary art space, she worked with blank projects gallery working closely with some of the country’s leading artists. Behind the music scenes, she has worked with artist management and booking agency, Black Major representing forward-thinking musicians as as well as managing press and media for experimental music festival Search. Within the film Luh’ra has directed music videos for artists locally and internationally. She has also collaborated with various local fashion brands in various capacities. As a musician Luh’ra has released 2 EP’s and performed on acclaimed stages across South Africa with some of the country’s best up-and-coming and established musicians. Her music has reached international audiences through various playlists, airing on radio stations such as Worldwide FM and NTS, as well as live performances on global platforms such as Sofar.

Follow Larah Fischer on Instagram @luh.ra

/// Keith Dliwayo | Multidisciplinary Artist: 
Keith Sphiwe Mpumelelo Dliwayo better known by his artist’s name Keith Virgo, is a multidisciplinary artist from Johannesburg and is currently based in Cape Town, South Africa. He works in various mediums of arts which stems from his love of storytelling. His work varies from photography, visual arts and hand knitting crafts as well as handmade jewellery. He has exhibited his works in Cape Town, Amsterdam and New York.

Follow Keith Dliwayo on Instagram @iamkeithvirgo

Larah Fisher
Keith Virgo

Chipo Mapondera and Sabina Mutsvati

/// Chipo Mapondera | Software Developer
Chipo Mapondera has worked for top fashion companies including VOGUE, ELLE, CHANEL, and the NET-A-PORTER Group for over a decade. Her experience and expertise encompass fashion editorial, marketing and technology. Her current role as a software developer allows her to explore new technologies that engage consumers and help fashion brands reach their audiences.

Follow Chipo Mapondera on Instagram @chipomapondera_

/// Sabina Mutsvati | Multidisciplinary Artist: 
Sabina Mutsvati graduated from Harare Polytechnic College with a Diploma in Fine Art and a National Certificate in Art and Design. Sabina is also a film wardrobe and costume designer trained by Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe. She has taught Basic Design as a Project lecturer at the Zimbabwe Institute of Visual Arts. Passionate about art, Sabina’s aim is to share her creative ideas with all those who are open to receiving them. Her designs are inspired by the never-ending roles of women in her Shona culture. Working with a variety of materials to help tell these women’s stories. She makes use of recycled materials while bringing in familiar elements and giving them new metaphorical meaning and purpose.

Follow Sabina Mutsvati on Instagram @sabinam71

Chipo Mapondera
Sabina Mutsvati

Rufaro Magara and Ryan Harvey

/// Rufaro Magara | Unity Developer and XR Enthusiast
 Rufaro Magara is a Zimbabwean-raised, South African-based Unity Developer and XR Enthusiast. He studied Game Design and Electrical Engineering at Wits University but later moved to the University of South Africa to study for a Bachelor of Science in Informatics. Currently in his final year at UNISA while freelancing as a Unity Developer based in Johannesburg. He holds a Unity (C#) Game Development Certificate awarded by Treehouse in addition to his creative practices in the technology space using software such as Unity(C#) Game Engine, Blender, and Spark AR being the tools. He is experienced in Augmented Reality within Unity using ARCore and Vuforia and in designing Instagram and Meta AR effects/filters allowing him to gain strong hands-on analytical and articulate viewpoint skills over the years. His latest achievement has been being selected to be a part of Africa Games Week 2022 in Cape Town at the Me and The Machine Interactive Art Exhibition in which an interactive piece of AR he created in Unity was part of the exhibition.

Follow Rufaro Magara on Instagram @justrmag

/// Ryan Harvey | Multi-disciplinary artist
 Ryan Harvey (b. 2000, Durban) is a trans-masc multi-disciplinary artist working across various mediums including animation, illustration, painting, photography, sound design, and videography to create worlds that conjure up complicated feelings within an audience. As an autistic artist, Ryan is attracted to uncomfortable art as a tool to help other people explore his complex emotions and make them confront the difficult truths about being autistic. Drawn to darker subject matter, Ryan seeks to challenge the notion of aesthetic merit opting instead for uneasy imagery that confronts the complacency of the art world and society more widely. 

Follow Ryan Harvey on Instagram @uglycryan

Rufaro Magara
Ryan Harvey

Jackson Chifamba and Joel Chandauka

/// Jackson Chifamba | Fashion Designer, Stylist, Software Engineering Student
Currently based in Harare, Jackson is a self-taught fashion designer, stylist, thrift collector and software engineering student. He is the founder of a 100% upcycled and handmade clothing brand that specialises in denim conceptualism, deconstruction and reconstruction. In 2021 Jackson showcased the first one of one collection at the Skeyi and Strobo Fabrik Party, and did so again the following year with his second denim collection Rotation of The Earth. Jackson has also collaborated with photographers on character concepts while continuing to create street style content using his background as a software engineering student to infuse his passions. 

Follow Jackson Chifamba on Instagram @jaxxongram

/// Joel Chandauka | Digital Creative Technologist
Joel Chandauka is a digital creative technologist specialising in 3D design and animation. Growing up, Joel was always fascinated by how cartoons were made, and as a result discovered 2D and 3D programs such as Blender and Adobe Animate. He is self-taught and always striving to improve. He believes that the limitations of his country have held back a lot of people who have similar interests and so he feels inclined to tackle these hardships and give hope to those who are giving up. 

Follow Joel Chandauka on Instagram @joel_zw

Jackson Chifamba
Joel Chandauka

/// DFL Project Partners

Electric South has an award-winning track record in producing storytelling expressed in an immersive format. We run labs and workshops for creators, demonstrating cutting edge work and growing their practical skill set. We provide ongoing creative and technical mentorship to our artists in production. We regularly exhibit work and give talks at local and international festivals and events to evangelise new digital immersive media. Through our digital platforms, we share knowledge, tools and resources. Our aim is to grow the ecosystem of artists using new immersive technologies for storytelling in Africa and to facilitate collaborative information exchanges on the African continent. For the Design Futures Lab 2023 Electric South, a non-profit providing support and mentorship to digital visual storytellers, will implement a 3-day in-person lab in Cape Town. The focus will be on developing digital prototype/proof of concept ideas inspired by Twyg’s sustainable fashion workshops taking place at the top of the lab. Electric South will explore a number of different creative approaches including 360 filmmaking, volumetric capture, world-building, avatar creation, and augmented reality.

Twyg is a not-for-profit media platform using storytelling, experiences and campaigns to promote a way of being that is sustainable, circular and ethical. One of its projects, the Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards is a first-of-its-kind annual event that strive to celebrate and support South African designers, creators, thought-leaders, and innovators who use best practices to help change fashion. For the Design Futures Lab, Twyg is designing a series of virtual workshops about sustainability, decoloniality and regeneration as it relates to growing, making, wearing and wasting fashion in Africa. By challenging the participants to reflect on the fashion industry, Twyg will introduce ideas that will germinate stories about the future of fashion. Korokoza is a creative media organisation focused on providing skills development, networking, and market access for artists, designers, writers, and technologists in Zimbabwe.

Crossover Labs are immersive media specialists, experts in the curation and creation of cutting-edge projects that combine technical innovation and storytelling.  We like to collaborate with artists and technologists to present immersive, interactive work that will resonate with audiences around the world. Our series of eight live cinema documentaries combine stunning archive footage from the past century with contemporary soundtracks composed by popular musicians. In our Labs, Crossover works with top industry mentors, incorporating design thinking and bespoke methodologies in order to encourage meaningful collaborations between different creative artists and technologists. We run workshops on Immersive Media development, VR and 360 video production and photogrammetry. Our workshops focus on the development of project ideas centred on story and audience development and routes to market. Crossover Labs will facilitate market access and feedback. All selected concepts will gain access to South Africa and UK markets with a keen focus on grants, funding and festival strategies.

The British Council’s Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Arts programme works in the diverse and varied countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and the U.K. Individually, each country and art sector has much to offer and exchange – collectively they tell multi-layered stories of 7 contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa and the U.K. Our arts programmes are underpinned by research, focused on young people, and are committed to; Supporting the creation of new art and sharing this art to audiences both online and in-person, sharing skills and knowledge between creative communities in the countries of SSA and the U.K and Creating new connections between young people. Our programmes are delivered by partners (artists, arts professionals, arts organisations, collectives, hubs) who have the vision and understanding of their creative communities and are best placed to lead and tell the stories of their local art sectors. With our partners, we stimulate new ways of connecting with and understanding each other through the arts. Design Futures Lab 2023 forms part of our Creative Economy programme in South Africa and aims to support young creatives with skills, opportunities, and knowledge that they need to build sustainable creative enterprises, build rich and provocative digital content and facilitate greater access to Markets.

The sustainable fashion workshop, hosted by Twyg, takes place on 9 May 2023 in Cape Town.
The digital lab, hosted by Electric South, and Korokoza takes place in-person from 10 -12 May in Cape Town.

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

The Spellbinding Sustainability of Alexa Schempers’ label ‘Rethread’

Apr 23, 2023 | Interviews, Fashion

Alexa Schempers was always meant to be in fashion. Design as a pathway into the industry is usually set on a course laid out by traditional education models of : moodboard, illustration, pattern-making and garment construction, so on and so forth. Usually, it attracts a particular person, with a particular kind of creative hunger; and while Alexa certainly has this ‘hunger’, it would be business and commerce that would be her segue in fashion. This, I believe, lends to the demonstrable success of Alexa’s brand Rethread; a cult-favourite label that has taken South Africa by storm, and then some. It’s not just the recent moment of seeing Rethread being adored by Julia Fox f or their 38.5k followers on TikTok – those are, in fact, by-products of the deep dedication Alexa has built her brand from, comprising of a three-part design category structure that enables sustainability to be, in every way possible, the beating heart of the Rethread vision. This is not neutral-tone, flaxseed sustainability – no – this is sustainability as sexy, sustainability as spell-binding & as earnest as it gets. I argue that Alexa is part of a wave of young designers and entrepreneurs around the world to showcase the power of building a small-scale fashion brand, from the ground up, with an uncompromising commitment to doing things differently.

Having grown up with her expressly chic mother in the tranquil town of Knysna – it was her joy to travel with her on shopping trips down to Cape Town, to be immersed in the city with shops and style abound. When it was time for Alexa to study, however – she pursued a business degree with a focus on marketing. In our conversation, she expresses how she knew in her heart that fashion was her true calling; so when she made her way to the Netherlands, embarking on a Masters in ‘Fashion Enterprise Creation’ at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. Reflecting, Alexa says, “It was a two year program, and the whole idea of the course was to plan and test a sustainable fashion business under the mentorship of the lectures, so it was a really amazing space to be in. The Netherlands is quite ahead of the curve, and they are very focused on sustainability and recycling – not just in the fashion and textiles industries. I had access to examples of sustainability and circularity not just as a theory, but also directly with people with working examples as career paths of functioning businesses. We broke down every aspect of a fashion business, and applied sustainability to each of those – how to include services and enhance a business model with as much in one’s toolbox.” For their final project, the students had to test, produce and market a fashion brand in partnership with students from the London College of Fashion; and the vision of upcycling became crystal-clear, as Aelxa explains, “Rethread was born in that incubator. Instinctively, I was drawn to the idea of using waste as resource – as someone who loves to shop, and loves fashion and experimenting with style – ‘re-fashion’, such as upcycling or resale, was the strongest forms of circularity that I wanted to test, as both an entrepreneur and a consumer.

Fast forward a few years (and a whole pandemic), and Rethread is a fully-fledged and active part of South Africa’s scene. I think those iconic suit sets will forever be imprinted in the minds of us fashion girlies – and the earliest indication of Rethread’s commitment to doing sustainability differently, like the ingenious restructuring of deadstock men’s blazers, with slashed hemlines and the signature Rethread burnt orange stitching. For Alexa, circularity has to be enacted across everything they do, and it’s for this reason that Rethread offers three ways of purchasing: a three-part design category of an upcycled collection, sustainably-made and pre-loved. This ensures that her Rethread community can find something across the whole business, while also showcasing the varying ways sustainability as a model is possible in fashion. On the challenges, Alexa says, “I think because we have three different categories – upcycling, ready-to-wear and vintage – it’s kind of like running three, micro-systems under one business. As a small business, figuring one thing out is difficult enough, so the variety is quite challenging. Zooming into each process offers its whole host of challenges, but I think upcycling is perhaps the most unique frontier to face in terms of production. We use vintage garments, taking them apart and re-designing them, and being able to offer this as a product hinges entirely on the availability of supply. There are not many people willing to work in that method because it’s non-traditional, and you’re required to almost think backwards. Then, being able to scale upcycled concepts and designs so that we can offer varying sizes, and not just make once off pieces.”

Alexa’s use of TikTok is something to behold, with many viral videos – from explaining why a price-tag of sustainable fashion differs from fast-fashion prices, or where she sources her vintage pieces. Then, there was Julia Fox expressing love for the brand – leading to Alexa reaching out and sending some custom pieces to her. With TikTok, there has been an increase in international traction and interest; and while customer conversion is not as simple as ‘someone likes a video, and then makes a purchase’, social media has offered Rethread a way to be seen in the world. This is thanks to Alexa’s personal presence – and the knowing by her community and customers – that Rethread is born straight from her heart, to theirs, “I want Rethread to be relatable and personal, so I am very front-facing in the way that I share who I am, what we do and the story behind our garments. I didn’t want to just have a brand out in the world without any context behind it, especially with something like circularity or sustainability which is a relatively new way of thinking in the fashion industry. I also am very open about what would be called ‘trade secrets’ and that there is a culture of secrecy around; like, I want people to know that this is what you can do as a consumer or starting a brand. We need as many people as possible to be looking at waste as a resource, or tackling these issues both socially and environmentally; as cool and stylish as upcycling can be, it is also a really important thing that shouldn’t be gatekept. We are the one-stop sustainability shop for the fashion it-girl, and we want to lean more into this as our concept.”

This year is has seen some challenges, and with her imminent move to Cape Town from Knysna ahead, Alexa ends of by explaining the vision ahead – one that we remain in awe to witness, “I’m in a place where I have to make some difficult decisions, you know, cutting what’s not working and focusing on what does work. The evolution of the brand has been a continuation of learning from its earliest start as part of my Masters degree, and I’ve been learning along the way, this whole time. This next growth phase is about elevating our up-cycled designs, and continuing to define what makes Rethread, its own. I always refer to Rethread as something that is made of a toolbox, and the next thing I want to develop is our branding, and textile design, so that we can create more signature elements that make us unique. I think it’s really exciting to be in fashion, because while we are presented with huge crises, it is also bringing about so much innovation, so our design-led circularity has much more to evolve into.”

Written by: Holly Beaton

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