I have been trying to challenge, within myself, the idea that a single craft or expression is the thing that will eventually come to define us. For artists and creatives, mastery is a necessary part of excelling and exceeding— but beyond our ability to ‘do’, lies an ephemeral spirit that is beyond articulation. The wisest advice I’ve ever received is that ‘no one can do what you do, the way you do it, with your energy and essence’ and I think about this phrase with each and every creative person that I speak to on this platform. This is the truth for each of us, and the medicine we must each employ when competitiveness — lack — or even jealousy comes knocking on our fragile psyches. The innate essence of each person is what makes our mandate at CEC, to celebrate creatives in all their multi-dimensional forms, a process with no expiry date or few restrictions. 

So in thinking of the characterisation and nature of multi-hyphenated essence— and the ability to share it through varying forms— I think this idea is exemplified by the work of Ponahalo Mojapelo. Few faces are synonymous with South Africa’s cultural renaissance across fashion, music and art over the last decade as Ponahalo;  as a model, DJ and content creator — you would be remiss to believe that after steadily ascending towards all her manifestations, that Ponahalo has even scratched the surface of her visions for herself, her hometown Joburg and South Africa at large.  From gracing the cover of Dazed, to her own Boiler Room set, to an original muse at Thebe Magugu; Ponahalo is *that* certifiable vision of our creative landscape. 

On her genesis, Ponahalo shares that “modeling came first when I was 18. A friend of mine was scouting models for a fashion show—it was a capsule collection by Nao Serrati. They were scouting models around Braam and Wits, and I was studying at Wits at the time. It was actually my roommate who got me into it. She was like, ‘You need some money, girl, so I’m putting you down.’ She didn’t even ask if I wanted to do it; she just decided for me.” With an initially casual approach, Ponahalo had no idea what lay in wait for her with this fateful experience; “I had always thought about modeling, considered it, but never really pursued it seriously. So when this opportunity came up, I thought, ‘Okay, let’s just do it for fun.’ It ended up going really well. There were some important people in the room, and I guess because my friend had been modeling for a while, people just assumed I had experience too. So I kind of just went with it.”

Photographed by Kagiso Phaswana

Ponahalo’s journey into DJing came shortly after her modeling debut. “There was a platform in Braamfontein, specifically at Kitchener’s, called Pussy Party—it was this queer space where they held parties every month,” she explains. “They reserved a segment of the lineup for femmes and queer people, while the rest of the venue was open to everyone. They also taught queer people and femmes how to DJ for free.” One day, the platform tweeted asking if anyone with good music taste wanted to open a set, and “A friend of mine tagged me because I was always the one playing music for everyone. If an album dropped, I had it first. I was that girl!” Ponahalo laughs, and after being tagged multiple times, Ponahalo shows up for her first set, arriving early. “They were like, ‘Okay, while you’re here, let’s give you a quick crash course on mixing,’” she recalls. “So I kind of learned on the job. But since I was already there, I just played what I knew my friends would love. It was an opening set, so at first, there were maybe two people on the dance floor. By the time I finished, the place was packed.” 

With an instinct as a curator and sonic space-holder, Ponahalo credits her years as a part girl with figuring out her signature formula of “starting slow, building up, and ending on a banger,” and that “I just knew how to create that energy. Plus, I grew up around music at home. I was a music captain at school—it’s always been a part of me.” Modeling and DJing, she notes, were the first two creative things she did, likely within six months of each other, around the age of 18 or 19. 

Reflecting on her work in both fields, Ponahalo sees it as a blessing to do music at night, and fashion during the day; “it’s work that I enjoy a lot, but at the same time, it’s also work that challenges me. It really exposes you to public perception in a big way. You can’t fail in private or fail quietly. If you mess up a transition, everyone on the dance floor feels it. If you’re not giving your all on a shoot, it’s going to show in the final photo that everyone eventually sees.” 

Ponahalo’s journey is marked by an equal measure of ambition and effortlessness; the kind of divine timing that words like ‘manifestation’ only attempt to allude to, but never quite capture. When Ponahalo was shot by Kristin-Lee Moolman for the cover of Dazed, this was a seminal moment for South Africa — with both photographer and muse South African born-and-bred. As Ponahalo reminisces; the whole experience was utterly surreal. “I’ve always had goals,” she says, and “I remember when I was 19 or 20, during the pandemic, I made a mock Dazed cover on Instagram. We weren’t really outside, so I took an old photoshoot, grabbed a PNG of the Dazed logo, and tweeted it as my interpretation of a Dazed cover. That was in 2020. Then, at the end of 2023, when I got the actual call to be on the cover, I was in complete shock.”

I remark to Ponahalo about the extent of this moment as historic, to which she says, “the power of timing, the power of manifestation—it’s so real. But I also believe manifestations lead you to where your work is. You have to put yourself out there, practice, say yes to as many opportunities as possible, and tell your own story. That’s been a huge part of my personal growth. I honestly don’t even know how to quantify it. I just know I’ve learned through failure, through trying, through reaching for the stars. And I’m still on that journey—I’m still growing, I’m still young, and I’m still figuring myself out.” In a cultural landscape that have diminishing returns on the longevity of such moments— Ponahalo is deeply earnest about her experience of these accolades, and the gratitude that she credits with motivating her experience of whichever opportunity she steps into, saying that “At the time, things like Boiler Room and Dazed felt like the peak—like, ‘This is it. This is everything I’ve ever wanted to do.’ Boiler Room is like the DJ Olympics. When I got that email, that call—I literally fell to my knees and cried. And when the Dazed cover was delivered to my house, I was just home alone, holding it in my hands. It was a random Friday, 11 AM, everyone else was at work, and I was in my house crying because it was real. My name was on it. Spelled correctly. It was a big deal for me.”

Photographed by TEE$ for Boiler Room TV

Above all, Ponahalo rides for Joburg like no other; and she is at the heart of a creative movement that emanates from the city, which I personally feel forms the heart of our overall renaissance as a country. As Ponahalo notes, “Johannesburg has always embraced bold fashion—crazy combinations are welcomed and celebrated.” Reflecting on the city’s growth, she recalls the rapid expansion she witnessed between 2016 and 2018. “I remember seeing it boom and grow, and then, with the pandemic and the global rise of South African fashion, the momentum only intensified. The spotlight was undeniable—especially when Thebe Magugu won the LVMH Prize.” Ponaholo worked with Magugu in 2019, the year he won, and remembers the surge of pride that followed. “It was a win for the entire culture, for Johannesburg in particular. The city was buzzing—we had so much pride, so much joy. It was like, ‘We built this, brick by brick.’ And it had been on the cusp of happening for so long. It wasn’t about getting ready—we had always been ready.”

“The city has always had this culture of cool, of standing out, of excess in fashion and expression. And what I love is that it feels so natural here. When you leave, you realise just how different it is.” She recalls a trip to Berlin where the difference was surprisingly stark. “I was in Berlin on holiday, and everyone was in shorts and slops. Babe. But if I had been in Braam, no one would have batted an eye. That’s just Jo’burg—everyone is a star in their own way.” 

“There’s this incredible energy here. Everyone is doing something big, something exciting. Everyone is part of something larger,” Ponahalo continues, and the city’s competitive edge is something Ponaholo cherishes deeply as a social code that keeps everyone aiming higher and higher, “What I appreciate most is how competitive it is—there’s no monopoly, no one entity dominating an industry. Everyone is thriving, and there’s always something new happening. Some people complain about there being too many events, but I love that. If one thing isn’t for you, there are twenty other options. You’re not boxed in—there’s variety.”

This diversity extends beyond just fashion, embedded in Johannesburg’s music scene. “There are gay parties, lesbian parties, spaces where trans people can feel safe and have a great time. There are inclusive spaces, balls, raves. Every kind of event exists in Johannesburg, and that, in turn, allows for every kind of music to thrive.” Ponahalo, who brings this wide-ranging energy to her DJ sets, shares how the city has shaped her sound. “No single genre dominates the city. You have piano parties, hip-hop events, punk nights, techno raves. I don’t just play one genre because I’ve experienced a city where every genre is given space to shine.”

Ponahalo’s journey as a DJ has always been about creating spaces where people feel seen and empowered. “When I started, my main focus was playing music that paired well with a girls’ night—music that made women, femmes, and queer people feel good,” she shares. She aimed to blend underground sounds with mainstream tracks, proving that these worlds can coexist. “I’ve always loved underground music—techno, hyperpop, ballroom, baile funk—but I also love pop classics, the kind of tracks that make the girls and the gays feel powerful.” Ponahalo’s musical evolution reflects the cultural shifts in Johannesburg; the city that she has grown up in and remains deeply a part of, “playing one genre is boring to me. I want my sets to be dynamic, inclusive, and unexpected. You’ll hear everything from vogue music to gqom to hyperpop. I want people to hear something familiar but also something that expands their musical world. At the end of the day, music is meant to unite.”  It’s the best feeling ever when you think you’re listening to one thing, and then it shifts into something unexpected—like another part of you is unlocked in that moment. I love that Ponahalo is the kind of DJ who embodies that; who gives each person on her dancefloor permission to know their multifaceted nature, and her multifaceted nature, too. 

I ask Ponahalo about building – year by year and seed by seed — on her life and vision, goals and dreams, to which she explains that “2024 was amazing. It felt so good to finally be seen by fashion brands I had admired for so long—brands I couldn’t afford growing up. To now be in a position where they’re sending me things, wanting to collaborate with me—it’s something I don’t take for granted at all. I spent a lot of time crying, a lot of time practicing gratitude. If I could quantify my tears, they’d probably fill a pool. That’s how overwhelming and beautiful it’s been. One of my biggest highlights was being flown to London by H&M. That completely changed my life” and that “I had been to London before, touring with Moonchild a few years ago, but this time, I was there with my own name, my own light. It was life-changing. I got to see Charli XCX live, which was surreal, and reconnect with so many friends who had moved to the UK. They were so welcoming, saying things like, ‘If you moved here, you’d be sorted. You’re going to be such a star.’ They really spoke life into me.”

“Traveling does that—it gives you a refreshed perspective on yourself and your work,” Ponahalo muses, and that “seeing my style and energy resonate in another country was really affirming. Strangers would stop me on the street—because, you know, in London, you’re walking everywhere—and I realised that the way I present myself, the way I stand out, translates no matter where I go. But I always made it clear: ‘I’m from Joburg. I’m from South Africa. This isn’t your style. This is South African style.’ I never wanted to be attributed to London or a Western influence. This was all us, baby.”

Last year set the tone for Ponahalo’s focus for this year; a shift toward creative direction, and further expansion of her creative expression in the world; “It was also incredible to have brands that believe in me and trust me to interpret their garments in a way that’s authentic—to me, to African hairstyles, to African expression—while also investing in me financially so I can pursue my own creative projects.This year, I really want to lean into creative direction. The relationships I’ve built with brands have put such a fire in my belly to push my personal work further. I’m hoping to start that as soon as this weekend.”

As for her advice to aspiring creatives, Ponahalo is explicit in trying everything and saying yes as much as possible; “I’d say try everything at least once. From fashion to DJing to any creative career—just give it a go. I think we’ve become so caught up in trends and aesthetics, but I believe in experimenting. Try “office core,” try “this core,” try “that core”—mix them up and find your personal style. If you’re interested in music but don’t know your genre, try playing a hip-hop set once. See how you feel preparing it, how comfortable you are performing, and how the crowd reacts. The same goes for creative directing, styling, and any other art form. I’ve done it all—I was a full-time stylist, a personal shopper, and even started a makeup course before the pandemic disrupted it. Some things stuck with me, others didn’t, and some found their way back to me over time,” and that, “with social media, it’s easier than ever to learn and connect. There are tutorials on almost anything, so there’s no reason not to give things a shot. It’s never too early or too late to start. More than anything, root for yourself—put your all into it and imagine there’s no way you can fail.”

For someone whose natural instinct is to manifest — Ponahalo is manifesting her next move, this time overseas, as she dreams of living and working in Europe, whether in London, Paris, Amsterdam, or Milan. “I feel like my style, my flair, my energy—it’s too good to gate-keep! It would be criminal not to share it with the world,” she says. Ponahalo envisions immersing herself in new cultures, growing through challenges; time abroad as a formative experience, and I agree wholeheartedly that Ponahalo is too iconic to gatekeep; South Africa, we’ll have to let her go— just for a bit, as after all—  “I want opportunities to flow naturally, in creativity, energy, and finances. Bigger things are coming, I know it.”

Watch Ponahalo’s Boiler Room Set HERE

Listen to Ponahalo’s Apple Music Visionary Women Mix HERE

Written by: Holly Beaton

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

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Categorising Lezanne Viviers is like trying to hear a whisper underwater – don’t waste your time. She’s a conceptual designer for whom classification is redundant and in fact, discouraged. In her world, the merger of art and fashion, sculpture, print-making and textile design is celebrated. Thus, her namesake label marries the duality of life, thrives on diversity and is in every essence aware of both the macro and micro. It’s an honor to dive into the mind of a creative person attuned to her inner intuition, a spiritual soul who is able to communicate this so effectively.

Her work is avant-garde yet references history, androgynous and genderless, and holds a promise to sustainable materials and practices. Her latest collection AW2025 (he)ART OFFICIAL prompted thought-provoking questions about the relationship between internal and external voices, which I had the privilege to ask in this Q&A. What was revealed in our conversation illuminated not the answers per se, but highlighted the importance of creating space for thought, time for rumination and deep curiosity.

Grace: Let’s start at the beginning, what led you to being an award-winning, artful-conceptual fashion designer?

Lezanne: My parents convinced me that it’s easier to have a career in fashion than it is to be a visual artist. After studying fashion in Stellenbosch, I moved to Johannesburg to experience a real South Africa, a city that is  more representative of South Africa than Cape Town.

Eight years later, after working as the Creative Director at Marianne Fassler, I started my own brand. It was a pivotal moment because I had to figure out and communicate my own aesthetic. It meant asking myself, which part of what I’ve done is me versus which parts were me in dialogue with the brand? I went through a self-discovery moment figuring out what I actually have to say. How do I view fashion? I wanted the brand to be an umbrella space where I could explore sculpture, fashion photography, print-making, painting – an opportunity to hybridize the disciplines and bring them all together.

Grace: When I think about you and your work, the harmony yet abundance of it, the word ‘prolific’ comes to mind – you have a drive that is unmatched. Where would you say that forward-thinking momentum comes from?

Lezanne: Concept. How I start any new collection is writing and it’s always very personal. Asking questions like, how do I see the world? What do I think the world should be? Then, it’s putting together the teams. I’ve got a big team with 10 permanent people, including other designers; if you start with a strong concept, it’s quite easy to collaborate and communicate the bigger vision you would like to manifest. I think people often forget the importance of really spending time on that initial concept, the true meaning and intention behind a body of work, there you can easily collaborate with a variety of creatives and disciplines because every person will interpret that concept with a fresh eye and a personal, meaningful approach. The big question is always, ‘would I wear it?’

At the end, we all actually have the answers inside of ourselves. We tend to forget that and we don’t make enough time to be quiet and just allow your intuition to come through. You don’t need to sit for hours and look for inspiration. It comes at the most unexpected times. But we keep ourselves so distracted with our phones!

Grace: I’ve often felt that curiosity is one of the best qualities in a person, and you certainly have it in abundance. How would you encourage others to live a life with eyes open, not only observing but asking ‘why’?

Lezanne: How can you be alive and not ask questions? You’ll just be complacent. I think you’ll be dead.  I’m forever digging. I’m a bit of an investigator of life, I suppose. The more you learn, the less you know, the more questions arise. 

My collection concepts are always in line with my own spiritual journey, in terms of digging. What’s the truth? What have we been told about religion, societal conditionings and the 3D matrix of the holographic world we experience? Why are there certain rules and systems in place? Do I believe in them or not? 

You can’t actually teach someone not to stagnate. 

Grace: In light of your most recent collection (he)ART OFFICIAL, it references such a genuine attunement with one’s self and soul creativity. What has been a favorite or most noteworthy collection you’ve made to date?

Lezanne: If I look at each collection, I can almost literally see exactly where my head was and the emotions tied to my frame of mind. I won’t say there’s one that’s better or worse, but some of them are more fun, some of them I love because of the collaboration, others reflect challenges and some serve as answers or testaments to my questions. I’ve collaborated a lot with my soul sister, Marlene Steyn. We have a lot of fun together, we play like children; we are both mothers. Collaborations just add another unexpected ingredient to the pot.

Grace: What I would imagine is one of the most human or natural examples of creation is birth and motherhood, what is your relationship between creativity and motherhood?

Lezanne: Having a child encourages you to play completely in the present moment. You have to contribute to their imaginative games. You are painting, you are literally sitting in boxes that you made yourself. You have to be so honest. There’s no pretense when you’re playing with a child because they are so pure and in the moment, it’s not like you can sit and philosophise, the moment is instant. There’s a lot of spontaneity.

So, it’s fun to be a mom and I think it can be very creative if you allow it to be. Of course it’s also stressful at times. It’s the self-reflecting mirror that a child shines towards a parent… But it’s the creative play that actually reminds you of the small things in life and the constant questioning of the most mundane habits we have adopted as humans.

Grace: Capturing your collections through photography as well as exhibitions and showroom spaces seems like an important way to archive. This also completes a life cycle of the work in that it is honored, displayed and presented. Your Joburg Glasshouse Showroom, your Mutual Heights Apartment space, your collections from Confections x Collections, global Fashion Weeks are all extremely intentional.. How does it feel to see your work out in the world, living a life of its own?

Lezanne: In the end when you do the show or the presentation, that is when the concept comes to life. The story that you wrote, the questions that you asked, is now alive. You don’t necessarily know what it would look like visually when you write the concept, but here it is, alive and breathing.

Grace: Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about how people are so addicted to instant gratification. It makes it challenging to try to figure out how we can create a culture and broader society where things are more intentional, slower and longer-lasting. However, when it comes to slowing down there’s also a question of the luxury of time and having the luxury to slow down. My question to you is, what does luxury represent to you?

Lezanne: Human touch. Human nature. It takes time to educate your audience through challenging dialogues, especially in the fast fashion industry that exists. It takes time to explain to someone that a well-made dress takes at least 3 to 4 full days of someone working on it in our studio, compared to a pair of Levi jeans made in a factory in under 15 minutes.

I ask myself, ‘why do people not buy clothing with the same intention as when they are buying artworks?’ It’s something that you bring into your space. To me, energy is very important. So there’s a reason why fast fashion is bought and given away or sold or thrown away because the energy in the garment probably does not align with your soul.

Our experience of life is splitting into two kinds of very distinct directions: people that are more conscious, people who are drawn to things with positive meanings, serving communities and others and people who are frenzy-focused, hype culture-focussed and part of the disposable culture that is mostly driven by service to the self. It’s just two different approaches, each individual chooses that for themselves. I don’t think you should try and change them because you can’t change anyone and their soul contract.

Grace: You can’t force someone to open their eyes. 

Lezanne: You can splash someone with cold water,  you can plant little seeds, but at the end of the day, who’s going to keep watering the seeds?

Grace: Tell us a bit about NURU and the showroom taking place over the Investec Cape Town Art Fair period this February. Could you share a little about what this year might hold for you, more broadly?

Lezanne: Looking forward, I think it’s a pivotal year; the year of the snake. I follow astrology very closely and 2025 is a big year of completions and beginnings, the most pivotal year to date; the year of change All those things that you have been struggling with or have been carrying internally, throw them in the garbage, heal your inner child and clean your closet to open space for the new, fresh wave of creativity and flow, but, this requires silencing the mind from the chaos around you.

We’ve been in business for 5 years now and it feels like there’s a new phase emerging. That phase is also part of why we started NURU: it means more nice people, more collaboration, more community-driven collectives, more intention and more mutual respect

It’s about not trying to convert people but finding people who have the same approach to life and making more time for them. A big theme for me for this year is remembering that at the end of the day, you choose your own reality, you determine what makes you happy. No one else can do that for you. Less stress, more play. Change your mind, change your reality. You are the creator of your own experience.

In a world so driven by satiation and a bombardment of distractions, especially from one’s true self, it feels increasingly rare to encounter a creative like Lezanne – one who believes in community, one who could convince you to hear a whisper underwater.

NURU showroom will be taking place at Lezanne’s penthouse of Mutual Heights Building for a curated viewing experience of a collection of local sustainable designers – by appointment over the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (18-24 February).

Follow Lezanne Viviers on Instagram here

Visit Viviers Studio Website here

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