At 29, this month’s BubblegumClub cover star Banele Khoza is already highly accomplished. He has leveraged his success to establish BKhz Gallery, a design workshop and gallery space. Located in the illustrious Keyes Art Mile in Rosebank, Khoza’s BKhz has become an iconic landmark, drawing young creatives and curious tourists alike. The intimately open facade…
If we are being completely honest – in mainstream popular music right now – Amapiano artists seem to be some of the musicians who take very seriously the meaning of the words “world tour”. “Pitori to the World” or “Amapiano to the World” are not mere catchphrases of global superstardom ambition or marketing gimmicks. They…
In the fast-paced world of fashion, where trends come and go, it takes a unique perspective and passion to stand out. Riyaadh Ismail, a menswear designer, stylist and creative director, is making waves in the industry with his distinct style and storytelling approach. Riyaadh’s journey into the world of fashion was not a conventional one….
In the days leading up to the sit down with Trevor Stuurman, he had been on flights from London to Durban to Johannesburg again, where we sat in Glow Studios, Killarney. All around him, things were continuously moving. When I walked into the studio, the crew had just finished a shoot and were actively in…
Given its centrality in South African culture, it’s no surprise that the sun has served as inspiration for local and international businesses and brands looking to maintain and attract customers. The Mexican brand Sol Beer, for example, has long been associated with the sun and its positive energy, making it perfectly suited for the sun-and-beer-loving…
If you would’ve told me that Nandi Dlepu got the name ‘Mamakashaka’ from the close chemistry and proximity to which she shares characteristics with King Shaka’s mother, Nandi Bhebhe, I would have believed you. It’s cliché but I would’ve still believed you. “No”, she laughs. “It was a nickname given to me in high school….
In a world of picture-perfect aloofness, hot girl nonchalance, and that distinctly adolescent desire to appear uncaring and unaffected, sincerity is like a precious stone. If it was a currency, then Jade Alves would be the richest girl in the world. Most well-known by the moniker Money Badoo, the rapper, singer, and songwriter’s aesthetic, music,…
I look at an ant and I see myself, a native South African endowed by nature with a strength much greater than my size […] I look at a bird and I see myself, a native South African soaring […] on wings of pride, the pride of a beautiful people. I look at a stream…
“From mid-1980s-style Afro Pop culture to rave-ready tunes, Ghana’s new sound makers are making waves and changing how the world looks at the country’s music.” Ekow Barnes African music is on the upswing, or rather, its influence and prominence are finally getting the global and public recognition it’s been long due. From high-profile collaborations to…
In celebration of Youth month this June, the organisation — MultiChoice — has selected 4 individuals, all making their mark as part of South Africa’s youth, to be their TRUE ICONS. In 1994, June 16 was declared as commemoration of National Youth Day in South Africa. This is the day the country reflects on the…
African music is a giant that has been slept on, now on the global rise and spreading rapidly. Our musical genealogies offer cosmologies of mythology, remembrance, sonic archiving and avenues to be in communion and rhythmic celebration — with ourselves, each other, our histories and ancestors. Omo, I don’t have a genre and I’m not…
The Ghanaian music prodigy on his musical foundations, the joys of being a young artist and his new song ‘Kweku the Traveler’. Black Sherif broke one rule when he was just around 17 years old. He fell in love with music. Born Mohammed Ismail Sherif; Black Sherif — who is also often called Blacko by…
