South Africa’s creative voices added depth to the conversations at the recent BRICS Fashion Summit, where delegates tabled ideas on culture, design, and the future of fashion while reflecting on what the global platform means for the country.
The South African delegation included Stephen Manzini, founder and CEO of Soweto Fashion Week and SA Fashion Association; Vusi Ngobeni, head of design at the National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture; Tinyiko Baloyi, lecturer at the University of Johannesburg; Gregg Maragelis, director of Cape Town College of Fashion Design; and Molefe Kumona, GQ South Africa’s editor-in-chief, who moderated discussions.
For Baloyi, the summit was about connection and exchange, revealing that delivering her lecture at the summit was one of her highlights, saying the engagement helped her refine frameworks for developing design ideas.
“For me, it means connecting with other people who are working with culture, identity, and knowledge found in culture and identity and using them in fashion. There is a lot of that going on in this space. And I think particularly because that is my interest and something that I want to share with my students to kind of see it from different perspectives, from different parts of the world. And I am like, 'It is not just an agenda that I have.' It is clearly something that is workable. The holistic fashion economies. It's been really wholesome.”
Meanwhile, Ngobeni emphasised the policy and developmental role of fashion in South Africa, linking it to the department’s ongoing work.
“It is huge considering that the department is working on a number of things which are related to fashion, but more so because we are in a process of the development of what we call the national design policy, which will also influence the strategies that we want to develop or we are developing because I think the conversations between the countries also play a big role. International relations play a big role. I also highlighted earlier to someone that the department has agenda items in one of the strategic planning sessions.”
He also highlighted the potential for fashion to be used as a tool for job creation and noted that several countries expressed interest in collaborating with South Africa.
“Those are low-hanging fruits. Those discussions can be done in terms of the trade arguments that we do have. We can sign a cultural collaboration and cultural agreements with any of these countries. What we need to make sure of is that we have something that is mutual as a country. So we cannot be sending any designer; a designer needs to be specific and be very intentional to say,” said Ngobeni.
Adding to the discussions, Manzini reflected on the uniqueness of South African fashion, pointing to designers’ ability to draw inspiration from personal stories and cultural heritage. Other voices, including veteran designer David Tlale, touched on sustainability, while Maragelis emphasised the importance of education and development in the global fashion landscape.
The South African delegation’s presence affirmed the country’s growing role in shaping cultural exchange, innovation, and collaboration within the global fashion economy.
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
Saturday Star