BEYOND THE SURFACE
African Design Dealers: Merchants on Long
The Cape Town store that was born out of a desire to feed the world the incredible design coming out of Africa. Merchants […]
KO LAPENG “HOUSE OF LEATHER” AW22
KO LAPENG is a story about home.
Home as a structure. Home as a comfort. Home as in the four walls that write the preface to our stories.
A concrete memory; home will always be […]
I FOUND MYSELF IN HUES OF CINDER
It’s not always easy articulating why you are drawn towards a certain subject matter or visual theme, but creating this short piece – I Found Myself In Hues of […]
UNLOCKING FREEDOMS
Africa Is Now Magazine is proud to present our recent collaboration with Afropunk and Facebook Africa in the showcase, Unlocking Freedoms. We […]
THE SACRED MOUNTAIN OF THE SAMBURU
MOUNT OLOLEKWE
Since Covid has kept most of us homebound for the last year or so, I reflected on some of my favourite […]
LIFE FORCE
Hues of red – crimsons and maroons – are embedded in our lives. As Nature’s favoured colour, for blood and earth, its richness holds the key to our most human and intimate moments. It […]
WINDS OF CHANGE
In a country where we have enough wind and sun to generate electricity, why are we still using coal? Faced with a global crisis of plastic filling up oceans […]
SUPER-TERRESTRIAL
Super-Terrestrial – more than “extra”, as this is a dose stronger than the average other-worldly encounter; with the sinamay hats tying both the future and past together in an elevated twist of modernity that […]
KING NOTHING
Following Variety’s announcement of the ambitious feature film written and directed by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer, Byron Eksteen joined him in his garden to speak about life, cinema and everything in between. […]
KASI VOGUE
FLOWER CHILD
Flower child is a narrative based on a flower that can grow beneath the concrete and still manage to blossom through the surface. The individuals […]
211220
In this humorously peculiar sci-fi interpretation of the year of 2020, director Caroline Viitanen explores the parallels between the year’s astrological events, the concept of […]
NOWNESS
No Direct Flight: The Dream That Refused Me. An Afrofuturist cipher reframing black cultures through poetry, movement and dance.
DAILY PAPER
On a well-ventilated patio, surrounded by lush vegetation and totem animals, we got to sit down with Hussein Suleiman, one of the three founders of the Amsterdam based, pan-African, world-wide brand […]
THE TRANSFORMERS
Style meets structure.
Graphic shapes create synergy with bold linear prints and colours of this Collection.
The Super African Acrobats joined forces eight years ago after leaving Tanzania, and moving to South Africa in search of a […]
AFRICA IS NOW MAGAZINE
AFTERNOON ESPRESSO SHOW – SABC 3
African skin and darker skin tones need unique care and attention. That is why […]
AMAH AYIVI
Amah AYIVI, the man who turns rubbish into treasure
Interview by Manon Munerez
Born in Togo, then […]
EXPRESSIONS OF PINK
Moving us to an alternative world, where gender plays no specific role, this fashion story is a collaboration between Blünke Trotse Tert and Shana Morland’s celebration of pink. […]
THROWAWAY TWENTY
Throwaway Twenty is about making the best mistakes. It’s about being mischievous, gutsy + unapologetic on a road to rediscovery. It’s about taking the underdogs along on the journey + coming home reborn showing the […]
THEBE MAGUGU
Sartorial Nostalgia | Thebe Magugu
“nostalgia
/nɒˈstaldʒə/
Noun
A sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past.”
Determining a newness in the realm of fashion is […]
DISKOTEKAH
DISKOTEKAH has always viewed music as a conduit for accessing a higher power! Especially electronic music, anything with a BPM structure. It allows us to tap into a mantra state with […]
ASHA : ELEVEN
She’s in contemplation, tuning into her inner being. She knows she is the creator of her inner garden, her reality. She follows the path of least resistance, 3-6-9 makes all the sense to […]
FROM LOCKDOWN WITH LOVE
Alone-time with style superstar @tamaramoeng, styled and interviewed by @kylebxshxff, and photographed by @tarrynfrancis.
AIN: […]
KASI VOGUE
Prince Katlego Meko and Itumeleng Warren Meko best known as the Meko Brothers explain their journey being in the creative industry from difficult times but […]
MOSADI MO SEKAKENG “DESERT WOMEN”
Olayinka Noel’s childhood dream to accessorise garments with bold jewellery matured into a fast developing business. She explains how her life changed since designing jewellery started to play a […]
SANELE JUNIOR XABA
Self Expression through Play.
There’s no denying that unreachable beauty standards are still present. Modern forms of self expression, however, have become a huge force in subverting this.
Makeup artist Tina Fishbach, paired with photographer Jonas Muller […]
SLOW LIVING
Featuring Ghanaian model Napari, shot by a South African team, at the peaceful expanse of Langebaan, this magical shoot celebrates slow fashion and the potential it has to correct our course as clothing over-producers. […]
THE DISTRICT
This story was shot by South African/German Photographer Daniela Müller-Brunke with local models, on the grounds of what was previously known as District Six.
Whenever Daniela shoots in her native South Africa, she always tries […]
ORANGE CULTURE
For Adebayo Okelawal, passion and resilience lead to growth which in turn lead to more knowledge and confidence in his work. Fashion stylist Anna Rykova chats to Adebayo about his growth, the hardest parts of […]
AFROPUNK 2019
Seeing young black people come together to occupy space unapologetically is exactly what keeps me going to Afropunk.
INVESTEC CAPE TOWN ART FAIR
The Investec Cape Town Art Fair is a platform that showcases the great diversity of contemporary art from Africa to the world. In its 8th edition, the fair takes place from the 14th to the […]
HINDSIGHTS & FORESIGHTS
Acclaimed artists Johan Conradie and Karl Gustav Sevenster form the artist duo AD-Reflex. Their current work, Hindsights and Foresights is a navigation of moments of unexpected beauty in the mundane.
ABOVE THE SOUQ: KHARTOUM’S UNDERGROUND ART SCENE
Amongst the various merchants and tea ladies of al Souq al Arabi, one of the city’s oldest and most disreputable open-air markets, Khartoum’s contemporary art scene brews. Hidden above market stalls bursting with produce, toys, […]
BEACH CULT
What inspires you?
Everything! I live in a constant state of conceptual redesign. Particularly when I travel – a whole new collection could be inspired by the color of a fruit, a piece of modern […]
TSOKU MAELA
Tsoku Maela is a visual artist hailing from the Lebowakgomo municipality in Limpopo. “An archivist of a future African past in the present time”, Tsoku’s work is an amalgamation of our past, present and future […]
LESOTHO RODEO
Chu Suwannapha’s unisex Spring/ Summer ’20 collection is inspired by Sotho culture and the Sotho mountain people, a swirl of cultures and a blurring of borders.
Think Wild Wild West; Africa edition. There […]
AYOBOLA KEKERE-EKUN
While observing Ayobola Kekere-Ekun’s work, what stands out the most is the vivid narratives portrayed and the intermixing of lines and fabrics to create these portraits. Oh her fascination with lines, Ayobola states that “a […]
RICHARD AVERAGE
Richard Average is a Cape Town-based illustrator. His skillful and unrestricted use of color in his creations is not only a reflection of his personality but also serves as an ode to the creative nature […]
STELLENBOSCH TRIENNALE
The Stellenbosch Triennale, brainchild of the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust, takes place from 11 February to 30 April 2020 in a location renowned for its halls of academia and historical vineyards. The upcoming international showcase, […]
STILL LIFE
Bringing the creative process to life is often a challenging task for local designers. There is a need to keep their product competitive in a world of giant retailers, fast fashion and mass production. We […]
BETWEEN LANDS
Upon returning to his hometown after several years, Ivorian filmmaker and photographer Christian Goue felt an uncertain sense of belonging which would be familiar to most African expatriates returning ‘home’. Being an expatriate can be […]
MAGOLIDE COLLECTIVE
Adilson De Oliveira and Mzoxolo X Mayongo (X- formerly Christopher), the pioneering duo from the Magolide Collective, are working with digital technology like virtual reality and augmented reality in ways that will your blow […]
GINGER MARY
This collab between AFRICA IS NOW and Ginger Mary is a celebration of spring and the feminine form.
Ginger Mary’s fashion fingerprint is all about boldness and softly accentuating the female form. The latest […]
HOUSE OF VANS 2019
“Off the Wall”, the distinguishable Vans slogan originated in the mid ’70s when skaters were landing new tricks in empty pools by literally skating off the wall. The meaning, however, has evolved in tandem […]
STATE OF FLOW
Cape Town-based fashion designer Onesimo Bam has full faith in the collaborative creative process. He also believes in allowing things to unfold organically. The OneIAm collective is testament to his sartorial philosophy and the […]
DJ LAG
With a Lion King soundtrack production credit in the safe, an EP released earlier this year in collaboration with Okzharp and a fiery new album out on all streaming […]
DANIELA YOHANNES
Since the beginning of time, mankind has searched for answers to the plethora of existential questions. In the quest for answers we have looked inwards to the subconscious and outwards to the cosmos – Daniela […]
RICH MNISI
At 27 years old, Rich Mnisi, has worked his way into the African and global fashion landscape at a furious pace with no sign of slowing down.
A charismatic, young and dynamic designer with […]
AFRICAN GINGER
Johannesburg-based illustrator and multimedia artist Seth Pimentel aka African Ginger on what music means to him, the principles of balance in design and Africa as a creative force.
Where does your love for art […]
BROWNCOFFEEMOKA
BROWNCOFFEEMOKA is a designer, illustrator and visual artist, whose creations are black, defiant, and socially and environmentally conscious. She is also strongly connected to environmental concerns, and creates her art sustainably by drawing on recycled […]
MAGNO DANIEL
Ícaro Fortes introduces AFRICA IS NOW to a freelance photographer whose arresting black-and-white images have a quiet, meditative quality that adeptly draws in the viewer. The 24-year-old […]
MOHAU MODISAKENG
Born in Soweto in 1986, Mohau Modisakeng’s work’s ‘responds to the history of the black body within the (South) African context’ – the violence of the apartheid era and the early 1990s. While his work […]
IMPRINT SS20
South African label Imprint’s latest spring/summer offering is like a collection of memories. Called Imvelaphi – The Home Coming, it’s a celebration of the brand going right back to the beginning. And it’s the perfect […]
BENJI REID
A self-proclaimed choreo-photolist currently residing in Manchester, Benji Reid fuses photography with theatricality and choreography. He has an uncanny ability to capture motion and emotion in a single image or series of images. What […]
SELFI & MARGOT MOLYNEUX
The Cape Town-based fashion labels take a fresh and fluid approach with their latest collections.
Selfi designer Celeste Arendse looks to a genderless future with her utilitarian Spring 2019 […]
MOSAKO CHALASHIKA
The Botswanan photographer who specialises in skate imagery, says it’s helped him to sharpen his skills and to highlight the skate scene in Gaborone.
SA MENSWEAR SS20
The fashion crowd defied the grey, rainy Saturday and showed up at the KPMG building in Cape Town’s city centre for the Spring/Summer collections 2020 of South African Menswear Week.
CROSS THE RIVER IN A CROWD
We came across Dan Halter’s work on a cold First Thursday and were immediately captured by his vivid and striking images. Dan possesses the unique ability to take materials ubiquitous to South Africa and […]
STREET STYLE
AFRICA IS NOW catches up with multitalented creatives Marvin Dieterich and Seth Pimentel aka African Ginger.
MARVIN DIETERICH
SETH PIMENTEL
GOLDEN SPEARS
Fashion meets dance in this collab between dance crew Golden Spears, photographer Jacques Weyers and designer Tokyo James.
AFRICA IS NOW introduces Golden Spears, the dance crew who […]
ALC MENSWEAR
Brendan Sturrock, ALC Menswear designer, gives us insight into the creation of the Autumn/Winter 2019 collection, from the initial artistic inspiration provided by Amanda Laird Cherry through to the inventive collaboration with ceramic […]
MARK DRAWS
An artist interested in the reimagining of African identities and stories, Mark Antony Modimola uses ink, acrylics and digital art to explore representations of blackness and contemporary Africa through themes such as self, Afrofuturism […]
EZRA MABENGEZA
Photographer James Meakin shot this series of photographs of actor Ezra Mabengeza in Gansbaai after a wildfire had torn through the area. It came about through a serendipitous meeting after the two hadn’t seen […]
NYOTA PARKER
Back from her recent Energy tour, the 19-year-old Cape Town-based rapper, singer and song-writer sat down with AFRICA IS NOW.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m half-Congolese, half-Irish and I moved to Cape Town at […]
NICHOLAS COUTTS
Fashion and textile designer Nicholas Coutts creates unique highly textured, handwoven pieces, blending traditional craft with a fresh contemporary aesthetic.
Why do you think ‘Africa is Now’?
Creatives in Africa are breaking the mould […]
NONTOBEKO MBUYAZI
A model with albinism, Nontobeko would love to walk the Victoria’s Secret ramp one day and aspires to be a criminologist. She talks to us about her challenges, perceptions of beauty and what’s next. […]
SA MENSWEAR WEEK 2019
Cape Town’s fashion crowd descended upon the Cruise Terminal of Cape Town’s Waterfront to view the Autumn/Winter presentation of SA Menswear Week. The raw industrial location provided a clean slate for […]
WOLE LAGUNJU
Currently living in the US, Nigerian artist Wole Lagunju focuses on challenging and critiquing notions of imperialistic cultural idioms. He talks to AFRICA IS NOW about his exhibition Yoruba Remixed, the role of African history […]
AFROPUNK 2018
Here are AFRICA IS NOW staffers’ stand-out moments from the biggest celebration of African and black culture of the year that was 2018 – all captured through the lenses of Anthony Bila and David Kambwiri. […]
DJ INVIZABLE
We sat down with DJ InviZAble’s Earth Liaisons, Nick Matthews and Jonathan Inggs, to talk about identity, positivism, cultural appropriation, the sound of XiFi and the newly released album.
So how does this […]
AKJP
Cape Town brand AKJP came into being via a collaboration between Adriaan Kuiters’ designer, Keith Henning and artist Jody Paulsen. Its signature is an artful contemporary twist on classic and utilitarian menswear. AKJP has […]
NAARTJIES
Costume Hire is Africa’s largest supplier of clothing to the film, commercials and photographic industries. Based in Cape Town, they offer a broad […]
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: KHANYA, THE DESIGNER
We spoke to the South African queer illustrator extraordinaire about his multi-cultural upbringing, influences and one-of-a-kind illustrations that address hard-hitting subject matter, spanning the spectrums of race, sexuality and gender identity, with mystical themes and […]