CREATIVE COUTURE:
GRAPHIC GURU:
ZAMABHELE NTSHANGASE Founder of Belle Couture
KARABO POPPY MOLETSANE
BANYANA ACE:
THEMBI KGATLANA
Status: South African Illustrator and Artist
Status: South African Football Player
Top Accolade: Emerging Designer
Top Accolade: Made the Forbes Africa 30
Top Accolade: Made the Forbes
Emerging local Fashion Fundi, Zamabhele
Born in Vereeniging, a mining town where
KwaZulu-Natal, before moving to Durban
Moletsane quickly decided to move to the city to
Industry: Fashion
Industry: Creative/Arts
Industry: Sport
- 2019 DFF Recognition Awards
Under 30 List: Creative Category (2019)
Ntshangase, grew up in Pietermaritzburg,
studying art is quite unheard of, Karabo Poppy
Central to pursue a career in the South
study visual communications at Pretoria’s Open
African fashion industry.
Window Institute.
She discovered her love for fashion when
The Johannesburg-based illustrator, then turned
Centre, in 2009. She completed her
founding her own organisation called Mother
of Fashion Design, and today designs
under her own name, Karabo Poppy. Her mission
and women, under her label titled Belle
in trying to redress and reimagine African
mixture of glamour and ethnic influences
design spheres. To date, Karabo is known for
target market.
Towers, which has become a local symbol of
She was crowned as one of the Rising
for designing the basketball courts in the Zoo
Women’s Player of the Year
2018, after participating in The Fashion
an initiative built in collaboration with Nike. This
has accumulated 17 goals in
of the highly-anticipated annual Durban
first South African artist to team up with Nike for
the South Africa national team,
momentous accolade, the textile lover was
inspired by her local roots rich culture.
was when she was still studying
Mentee Programme in 2018, which
Most recently, the quirky graphic designer had the
Western Cape (UWC). Generally
she was doing her internship at the Bat
her artistic hobby into a business in 2015,
studies at Lindiwe Khuzwayo Academy
Tongue-Creative House, which is now trading
the most vibrant collections for both men
is to work alongside other black creatives
Couture. Zamabhele’s unique style is a
representation in the media and contemporary
which define the lifestyle of her grandiose
being the artist behind the tagging of the Soweto
Africa 30 Under 30 List: Sport Category (2019)
Born and raised in Mohlakeng, a township west of Johannesburg,
Themb Kgatlana is known for her success within the South Africa’s Banyana Banyana Women’s
Football Club, and for playing
for the Beijing BG Phoenix FC,
in the Chinese Women’s Super League. She’s had world-
class experience, previously
playing for the Houston Dash in USA’s National Women’s
Soccer League (NWSL), which accelerated her growth in the international sports sector.
kasi (township) pride. Karabo is also celebrated
In 2018, she won the CAF
Stars at the DFF Recognition Awards in
Lake public park, in Johannesburg, which was
Award. And to date, Thembi
Development Programme, which forms part
partnership then led to Karabo becoming the
55 senior international caps for
Fashion Fair (DFF). Prior to achieving this
an Air Force 1 collection – one that is largely
since her debut in 2016, which
part of the Mr Price local pre-production propelled her career to new heights.
opportunity to work with internationally-renowned
Today, her garments are worn by
anticipated capsule collection, named ‘Running
continues to make waves in the industry.
has been well-received thus far.
celebrities across Africa as her brand
fashion designer, Rich Mnisi, on a highly-
Errands’. The combination of their artistic styles
156 STANDARD BANK TO P W O M EN LEADERS
under the University of the
celebrated as one of South
Africa’s most gifted footballers of
the century, her recent transfer to Eibar marks a massive step up in the career as a female footballer.