South Africa’s emerging animation industry has a new star in creative entrepreneur Lwazi Msipha, who has just debuted a first-of-its-kind African cartoon show on a global network. 



IMAGINE IF YOU COULD DRAW AND CREATE your own friends. Self-taught South African animator, Lwazi Msipha, did exactly that, in the process, making himself several friends around the world.



The 27-year-old is the owner and creative director of Old Fashioned Youngin, and the animator behind My Cartoon Friend, a South African cartoon that debuted this year on American cable television’s Cartoon Network.



“I used to love watching the channel growing up. And I always wanted to be on the credits. But now seeing a show that I created [on there] is definitely one of my proudest moments,” Msipha tells FORBES AFRICA.



From Boksburg, on the East Rand of South Africa’s Gauteng province, Msipha grew up inspired by the shows on Cartoon Network such as Courage the Cowardly Dog and Dragon Ball Z on local channel SABC.



Early on, these influenced him to want to pursue animation – a profession unheard of back in the day – and he laid out the initial blueprint for his career, by drawing cartoons using flipbook animations.



“I love seeing my characters come to life. And that was the spark for me. I was like, ‘this is what I want to do, I want to create, I want to see my animations’,” says Msipha.



With support from his mother who encouraged him to pursue the art form, he was able to give shape and form to his dreams after graduating in 2017. He started out as a graphic designer but quit as he wanted to venture into animation full-time.



He began creating cartoons on social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok until he won the 2019 Digital Lab Africa pitching competition.



This opportunity led to the beginnings of one of Africa’s first original hybrid comedy shows, My Cartoon Friend.



<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:28% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="819" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Photo-Ariane-Suveg-2020-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-53231 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Photo-Ariane-Suveg-2020-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Photo-Ariane-Suveg-2020-240x300.jpg 240w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Photo-Ariane-Suveg-2020-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Photo-Ariane-Suveg-2020-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Photo-Ariane-Suveg-2020-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Photo-Ariane-Suveg-2020.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">The content in itself was really interesting. And very clear, with a real promise. – Ariane Suveg</blockquote>
</div></div>



The show portrays Msipha as an animator who plays around with animation software and creates a cartoon character named Themba who magically materializes in real life. Themba becomes his friend and Msipha teaches him to navigate the real world as there are certain things he can’t do as a cartoon.



This interaction unravels a comical repertoire as they embark on adventures together.



But in real life, as Msipha observes, the production work was anything but fun and games.



There’s a lot of toil that goes on behind the scenes, from pre-production and script-writing to character design, dubbing and editing.



Unlike animation for adults, writing for kids is challenging, as the educational nuances and the language used become important.



According to Msipha, it can take approximately five months of pre- production and planning to produce a two-minute episode.



Ariane Suveg, the Kids Content Director for France, Africa &amp; Israel, WarnerMedia, which houses the Cartoon Network brand, was one of those who saw Msipha’s potential.



“I think it [My Cartoon Friend] is a really good example for other young animators in Africa,” she tells FORBES AFRICA over Zoom from France.



“Regarding the fact that we don’t have enough African content on air, it was a time when we were thinking, ‘well, we need fun stuff on air, we need to be creative, we need to do something that we didn’t do before’,” she says.



Msipha’s show was just the continental content they were looking for.



“Also, the content in itself was really interesting, and very clear, with a real promise,” she adds.



While Msipha is the show’s producer and animator, Cartoon Network came on board as the financier. Global networks are always searching for African talent and content, but it isn’t always easy finding them.



“It’s not so easy, because I think from both sides, we don’t necessarily know each other and the African talents don’t necessarily know how to get in touch with us. For me, it’s about time to spend to build the bridges between the creators who don’t necessarily have the networks or connections,” Suveg adds.



There aren’t many animation schools in Africa either, helping young creatives break into the industry.



Additionally, Msipha says there is still a gap in terms of certain stories being told.



“[I think] African spiritually is definitely something that needs to be told more of. It’s the one thing that sets Africa apart from the rest of the globe. That is definitely something that needs to be explored.”



Msipha hopes the young girls and boys who watch his show are inspired.



“It’s ultimately inspiring to watch them see something they can resonate [with], like, ‘oh, this character looks like me, this character is in my hometown, and I know that building’! How exciting is that!”



“I’m really convinced that African stories are bringing something different that is expected elsewhere,” says Suveg.



“I think there are a lot of values that we can see in your stories that do not exist elsewhere. From my side, I see values of optimism, friendship, community and that is a positive way to see life,” she says.



“There is also something beautiful talking about sharing dreams, and with this kind of energy that you don’t necessarily see in Europe or the western countries. So it’s really new,” Suveg says.



Msipha’s future plans are to grow the South African animation industry and create programs for African animators to develop their skills and make animation more accessible as an industry.



He drew his way to success, and for the others, the drawing board beckons.



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-animation-action">Animation Action</h2>



Despite the institutional challenges, the past few years have seen a trend in more African animation making it to mainstream platforms. Nigerian animator, Ridwan Moshood, garnered a contract with Cartoon Network for his show, Garbage Boy and Trash Can.



Disney too is set to release an African show called Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, a 10-part anthology crafted by filmmakers from Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt.



Additionally, pan-African entertainment company Kugali has created an animation series titled Iwaju, which Disney announced a partnership with. Two other South African animations are set to be released – Kiff by Lucy Heavens and Nic Small and Kiya and The Kimoja Heroes by Kelly Dillon and Marc Dey.



All these pockets of African creativity bring great encouragement for animators to enter the global scene and advance the representation of African cartoon characters in mainstream media.

vlcsnap-2021-07-28-12h01m04s100

Lights, Camera, Animation: The Self-taught African Animator Behind The New Cartoon Network Show

Dylan Diamond first built the app in high school to help his friends coordinate their schedules.



In October 2015, the halls of Westport, Connecticut’s Staples High School looked like those of any other well-to-do American school, abuzz with 1,800 students rushing from class to study hall to extracurricular activities. But while other schools’ teens connected through Snapchat and Instagram, Staples’ entire student body was hooked on what would become Saturn, a social calendar app built by junior Dylan Diamond. 



“People would send around pictures of their schedules and say, ‘Hey, are you in my class?’ They’d send around these ad hoc spreadsheets, group chats and posts; there was no coherent solution,” says Diamond, now 22 years old. “So I created a Web app just for my school that showed me where my friends were and what was going on in the community.” That app became Saturn, named after the Roman god of time. High schoolers use Saturn to manage their calendars,&nbsp; learn about community happenings, chat with friends, see their calendars and real-time whereabouts.



Diamond graduated from Staples in 2017 and enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied engineering and business. On the side, he developed Tesla Toolbox, an app for Tesla drivers to control their vehicles from Apple Watches and share drive data—he describes this as Strava for the Tesla community. Tesla discovered the app and hired Diamond as the company’s youngest full-time employee. Though his weekly commutes from Philadelphia to San Francisco prevented Diamond from having much of a social life, fellow Whartonite Max Baron, who was similarly running a full-time social media consultancy with buy-in from Dr. Dre and Snapchat, messaged Diamond on LinkedIn to connect about business opportunities.&nbsp;



Over coffee on Penn’s campus, Diamond showed Baron Saturn—which he’d subsequently turned in a mobile app-—and Baron was floored. “It was very obvious to me that the slope of whatever we could build together was much higher than whatever I could find in either a classroom or commercial setting.” With Baron as COO and CSO and Diamond as CEO, in 2019 the two closed a $9 million seed round from TQ Ventures, General Catalyst and Ashton Kutcher, propelling their pre-revenue company to a $40 million valuation. After Diamond won a Thiel Fellowship in 2020, the two dropped out of college to build Saturn into what they say will be the next Facebook.&nbsp;



Today, the company announced it’s raised an additional $35 million, bringing total funding to $44 million, led by General Catalyst, Insight Partners and Coatue, with participation from Bezos Expeditions, Marc Benioff, Dara Khosrowshahi, Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary’s Sound Ventures, Inspired Capital, Mike Vernal, TQ Ventures, SV Angel, Dick Costolo and Adam Bain’s 01 Advisors, Robert Downey Jr., Elad Gil, Jerry Murdock, Hadi Partovi and Dylan Field.&nbsp;



“Dylan [Diamond] is a prodigy in many ways,” says Alexa von Tobel, founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital. “When you see data like Saturn’s, it honestly reminds me of my days as a Harvard undergrad—Mark Zuckerberg was a classmate—and I remember what the early adoption of Facebook felt like, when the user base is not only demanding, but thirsty for the product.”



Though Saturn declined to share metrics on its user base, at present, a few hundred schools use Saturn to manage their social and academic calendars, message students and work through homework and extracurricular to-do lists within the platform. Saturn brings high schools into its orbit by hiring unpaid student ambassadors, a strategy meant to make it feel by and for students, rather than administrators.&nbsp;



Though the cofounders have attracted a slate of blue-chip investors, the company has no monetization model—or plan to move beyond high school users—at present. “There are a lot of things in play, but to be honest, [monetization] is not our immediate priority at the moment,” says Baron, who is more focused on retention and engagement. Investors are banking on Saturn becoming the next great social network, and in such a reality, monetization is light-years away. For context, Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook in 2004, but did not attempt to generate revenue until 2012.&nbsp;



“When you invest in things like Twitter, which I did when it was only 30 people, we had no idea how we’re going to make money,” says Insight Partners’ cofounder Jerry Murdock, who led the round, but invested as an individual. “Within something that has a high degree of engagement, and you see there’s a lot of utility, there’s an implied sense that monetization will be there when you need to get there.”&nbsp;



The SoHo, New York-based company plans to use much of its $44 million injection to pay its 30 employees and hire to fill 13 new roles. “If we double down on performance and make sure that Saturn can scale flawlessly to thousands of schools,” says Diamond. “There’s a lot of work ahead, but we’re excited about where we are.”



By Alexandra Sternlicht, Forbes Staff

61127f4a0328a75d23491d01_SaturnForbesFinal (8.9)-p-1080

Social Calendar Platform Saturn Raises $44 Million From Benioff, Bezos, And Von Tobel, Among Others

After an injury stymied Brandon Fleming’s Liberty University basketball career, he dropped out to earn a living as an assembly line worker in Atlanta, Georgia. After attempting suicide, he was determined to turn his life around. 



He re-enrolled at Liberty University on a full-ride despite having a middle school-level reading comprehension. Fleming, however, only passed his courses only by cheating. His English professor caught Fleming cheating; rather than flunk him, she forced him to redo the assignment—by her side over the course of multiple months. In the process, she taught him to read and write, exposing him to Black authors like Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass. 



As a side hustle, he coached a debate team at an inner city Atlanta middle school. After the team became undefeated national champions, Harvard recruited him to coach their debate team. In turn, Fleming founded the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project, which recruits highly motivated Black youth from Atlanta and trains them through a year-long debate residency with Harvard that culminates in competition against top-ranked debaters from 25 countries. So far, the three cohorts Fleming has trained since the program’s 2017 inception have won the prestigious national Harvard Debate Tournament. This month, Hachette Books published&nbsp;Miseducated, Fleming’s memoir.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">From drug dealer to Harvard educator, here&#39;s why Brandon Fleming believes heart-first teaching is key to racial equality: <a href="https://t.co/rjUzXo228v">https://t.co/rjUzXo228v</a> <a href="https://t.co/TfANQxjonk">pic.twitter.com/TfANQxjonk</a>&mdash; Forbes (@Forbes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Forbes/status/1408475118007902214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Forbes&nbsp;spoke with Fleming about his childhood, plans to open the first truly equitable boarding school and heart-first teaching.&nbsp;



Alexandra Sternlicht:&nbsp;Tell me about how you ended up in debate.&nbsp;



Brandon Fleming:&nbsp;I didn’t know that Black people were scholars. In the world that I existed in, there were nothing but Black gangsters and Black drug dealers and Black athletes. When my professor introduced me to Black writers, she opened up this world in which I never knew there was space for me. I just became hungry for more. I started watching movies and reading books about Black scholars. I was Googling movies similar to&nbsp;Malcolm X&nbsp;and found another movie starring Denzel Washington about a Black teacher. It’s called the&nbsp;Great Debaters, and it changed my life forever. I was like, “If only this was a real thing.”&nbsp;



I grew up an athlete, and I got hurt. I had nowhere to direct my competitive drive. So now I was like, ‘You can be competitive in smart stuff?’ So I came to find out it was a real thing, and that my college had a debate team—and then I tried out and made the team. I was so captivated by debate because it was not only helping me learn but discovering my voice and identity.&nbsp;



Sternlicht:&nbsp;You made the&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;30 Under 30 list as the founder of the Harvard Diversity Project. Are you still involved in that?



Fleming:&nbsp;Absolutely. I always wonder why I was the one who made it out of the ‘hood because there are so many people out there who never made it out. In fact, most of them never made it out. Some of them aren&#8217;t even alive anymore. When I made it from the hood to Harvard, I knew that my being there had to be far bigger than just me. I realized the reason I was there was to build a bridge—to create access for more people who look like me.



For three consecutive years, every group of students that I recruited and trained in Atlanta through the Harvard Diversity Project—every single one of them won the Harvard Debate Tournament. It shows the world that it’s bigger than debate. It shows the world that anything Black and Brown people have not achieved is not due to ability; it’s only due to access.&nbsp;



Sternlicht:&nbsp;From your own drive and from encountering some amazing mentors, you’ve had incredible success—all through education. Do you think that the education system is the main way to achieve racial equity?&nbsp;



Fleming:&nbsp;When we look at the plight of American education, it’s not a policy issue. It’s a heart issue. The reason is that we don’t understand that the way we create a more equitable world is through empathetic education. What does it look like? It looks exactly like what that professor did for me, which is meeting me where I was.&nbsp;



English did not change me. Academics did not change me. Love is what changed me. Empathy is what changed me.&nbsp;



The reason I wrote this book [Miseducated] is because we can’t reach people that we don’t understand. When we talk about reaching at-risk youth, that’s how we can reach them: love them first and teach them second. Once we learn how to do that, education will transform.&nbsp;



Sternlicht:&nbsp;How do you think educators and academic institutions can institute heart into their curriculum?&nbsp;



Fleming:&nbsp;We have to understand emotional learning. It goes beyond intellectual intelligence. You can’t be concerned with reaching the mind and not reaching the heart. We have to meet them where they are—that’s the definition of equity. It’s what that professor did for me: being willing to go the extra mile above the call of duty.&nbsp;



The other part of it is culturally relevant teaching. When my professor wanted to teach me to read and write, she didn’t go back to William Faulkner or F. Scott Fitzgerald. She understood the importance of culture and representation. That’s the definition of culturally relevant teaching: it’s marrying our agenda with their interests.&nbsp;



Young people are not disinterested. Young people are not disengaged. It’s easier for us to say they’re disinterested because that negates our responsibility.&nbsp;



English did not change me. Academics did not change me. Love is what changed me. Empathy is what changed me.&nbsp;Brandon Fleming



Sternlicht:&nbsp;What is the role of higher education in this system?



Fleming:&nbsp;One role higher education can play is creating equitable summer programming, which is what we’re doing at Harvard. We’re giving access to Black and Brown students because the other option is to leave these kids to fend for themselves.&nbsp;



Sternlicht:&nbsp;How do you think your impact will be most felt? Through your book? Through Harvard? Or other sorts of career things?&nbsp;



Fleming:&nbsp;I can let you in on something I haven’t shared with many others. If I have discovered the tool that levels the playing field for marginalized people, it means I have a responsibility to get that tool in the hands of as many people as possible, and I can’t do that at Harvard. Right now, I am in the process of building a school that is called the Veritas School of Social Sciences. It’s going to be the most equitable school in the world. It’s going to be a boarding school for people of color. It’s in Atlanta, Georgia and the development is already underway. We plan to open the school in either the fall of 2023 or 2024.&nbsp;



Sternlicht:&nbsp;You mentioned over email that your book is being optioned for a movie?&nbsp;



Fleming:&nbsp;Yes, it is! There’s not much I can share—only because now we’re negotiating with different production companies and studios to determine which contract we want to sign.&nbsp;



This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 



By Alexandra Sternlicht, Forbes Staff

Screenshot 2021-06-30 at 15.24.11

From Drug Dealer To Harvard Educator: Why Brandon Fleming Believes Heart-First Teaching Is Key To Racial Equality

So what would a historic pandemic year throw up? Ground-breaking entrepreneurs and thinkers. Our 2021 class of Under 30s are just that: influential creatives, imaginative business owners, innovative techies and gifted sports stars. Celebrating seven years of the FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 list, Renuka Methil, Managing Editor of FORBES AFRICA, speaks to the cover stars headlining the list and representing their cohorts from across the African continent. 



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Panel Conversation With The 2021 FORBES AFRICA Under 30 Cover Stars" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SOlvp8FTxNM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption>Video edited by Chanel Retief </figcaption></figure>



And they are Mihlali Ndamase, a creative and digital influencer from South Africa, Reinhard Mahalie, the founder of RM Fashion Styling in Namibia, Cleo Johnson, the founder of Nuecleo in South Africa, Shakemore Timburwa, the founder of Energy Plus in Zimbabwe, and Antonio Depina, the founder of Overseas Basketball Connection based in Cape Verde.



<a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/cover-story/2021/06/11/class-of-2021-change-makers-in-a-historic-year/">Read more about the FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 Class of 2021 </a>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_5029-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51313" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_5029-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_5029-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_5029-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_5029-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_5029-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_5029-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption>Photo by Motlabana Monnakgotla</figcaption></figure></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-look-out-for">What To Look Out For</h2>



Our FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 curators, Karen Mwendera, Chanel Retief and Simone Umraw will have be in conversation with some of the changemakers who made the Class of 2021 on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/forbesafrica/">Instagram</a>. Stay tuned for more!

Untitled design (12)

Panel: In Conversation With The 2021 FORBES AFRICA Under 30 Cover Stars

Untitled design (7)

CLASS OF 2021 Change-Makers In A Historic Year

Members of this year’s list of under 30s have one thing in common: A NEW COVID-INDUCED AGENDA FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. So what would a historic pandemic year throw up? ground-breaking entrepreneurs and thinkers. Our 2021 class of under 30s are just that: INFLUENTIAL CREATIVES, IMAGINATIVE BUSINESS OWNERS, INNOVATIVE TECHIES, AND GIFTED SPORTS STARS. Celebrating seven years of the FORBES AFRICA 30 UNDER 30 LIST, these achievers prove that now more than ever,&nbsp; they are crucial to the AFRICAN GROWTH STORY.



<h4 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-the-under-30-team">THE UNDER 30 TEAM</h4>



Words: Karen Mwendera, Chanel Retief, Simone Umraw Art Director: Lucy Nkosi Photographer: Motlabana Monnakgotla Retouching: Newkatz Studio Styling: Keabetswe Mafora; Outfits supplied by: Spero Villioti, Viviers Studio, Sisi the Collection, GertJohan Coetzee, Port of LNG, Amen Concepts, Europa Art Studio: Light Station Studio, Johannesburg | Hair &amp; Makeup: SnehhOnline Beauty



FORBES AFRICA finds out how some of the members of the CLASS of 2021 reacted when they found out that they made the most coveted list in Africa!



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&quot;How did you feel when you find out you made the FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 Class of 2021&quot;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z_ov0N5zlXU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



EXTERNAL JUDGES: THE CATEGORY EXPERTS WHOSE ROLE WAS TO SURVEY ALL THE FINALISTS OF THE 2021 30 UNDER 30 LIST, RANK THEM AND PROVIDE COMMENTARY ON EACH CANDIDATE.



BUSINESS: Nigerian businesswoman Uche Pedro, the founder, and CEO of BellaNaija, a media-tech brand known for its entertainment and lifestyle content. She has been in the business game for over 15 years, collecting numerous local and international accolades along the way including making the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA 50 Most Powerful Women list in 2020.



TECHNOLOGY: Olugbenga Agboola, the cofounder and CEO of Flutterwave, an African fintech firm building digital payments infrastructure. He has contributed to the development of fintech solutions at several tech companies and financial institutions such as PayPal, Standard Bank, among others. Flutterwave recently raised $170 million, giving it ‘unicorn’ status with a value of over $1 billion.



CREATIVES: Dr John Kani, a South African actor, author, director, and playwright known for his roles in Marvel movies Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther as well as The Lion King. In addition, Kani is also the Founder of the Market Theatre LaboratoryAcademy, chair of the Apartheid Museum South Africa, patron and Ambassador of the Market Theatre, and Trustee for the WWFNedbank Green Trust.



SPORTS: Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, a Zimbabwean-born professional rugby player who plays for Old Glory DC in Major League Rugby and previously for the South African national team and the Sharks in Super Rugby. With 117 caps, he is the most capped prop in South African history and the third most-capped Springbok of all time. He is also a 2019 Rugby World Cup winner. He owns a security company in South Africa and The Beast Foundation.



AUDIT PARTNER: FORBES AFRICA partnered again with SNG Grant Thornton to vet the business and financial statements of the candidates. This involved understanding the landscape, the profitability, growth and most of all, the scalability of each business.



For the full list download the digital copy <a href="https://shop.forbesafrica.com/product/single-digital-issue-30-under-30-june-july-2021/">here</a>

Untitled design

Forbes Africa #30Under30 List: CLASS OF 2021 Change-Makers In A Historic Year

Anjali Borkhataria is trying to change the narrative of fashion in Tanzania with a local brand aimed at everyone.



BY INAARA GANGJI



IT WAS ONE OF THOSE RARE OCCASIONS when bold neon colors, oversized white outdoor workwear and bright uncoordinated prints made their way on to the ramps of the annual Swahili Fashion Week in Tanzania. Local fashion designer, Anjali Borkhataria’s brand, EK AN TIK, its name inspired by Hindu scriptures, was a breath of fresh air in an industry that has been assumed to be set in its ways. 



“I believe African fashion is not limited to the printed patterns or kitenge, but we have so much to work with… there can definitely be more diverse design, but still have that African signature,” says Borkhataria to FORBES AFRICA. Borkhataria won Innovative Designer of the Year at this year’s fashion week and her brand has been worn by celebrities across the region and the African continent including Kenyan musician Tanasha Donna, Tanzanian celebrity Romy Jons and singer Mbosso, and has also appeared in a music video by popular Tanzanian singer Diamond Platnumz, featuring Congolese singer Koffi Olomide. 



But Borkhataria believes her brand is not made only for celebrities. Her first collection is workwear inspired by regular businessmen, electricians, and construction industry workers. It’s also unisex, oversized, and flowing. And while she does not prefer comparing herself to other designers in the region because creativity is not a competition for her, she believes her designs inspired by local street culture set her apart. 



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MIKE-DEO-2-1-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50422" width="338" height="422" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MIKE-DEO-2-1-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MIKE-DEO-2-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MIKE-DEO-2-1-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MIKE-DEO-2-1-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MIKE-DEO-2-1-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MIKE-DEO-2-1.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 338px) 100vw, 338px" /></figure></div>



“Because, life happens on the streets, the streets influence me more than anything. So, I try to imply that into my design,” says the 23-year-old who has been a designer for the last three years. However, despite having studied at the Cape Town College of Fashion Design in South Africa, when it comes to the creative process, she does not believe in doing things in one way or the other. 



Her second collection showcased at the latest edition of the Swahili Fashion Week was inspired by games. Titled ‘GameScape’, the inspiration for it came from her father, who sells cars, batteries, and tires. It was also inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic as everybody sat at home and played games. “I don’t know what my creative process looks like because sometimes it’s a movie, sometimes it’s a piece of art, sometimes it’s nothing,” she exudes.



The tight timeframes involved in creating collections hinder the creative process too, with usually only five weeks between conception and production. She is not a fan of sketching either, as she goes with flow, not following a typical or organized process. This saves her time and sets realistic expectations, in her opinion.



Borkhataria also does all her production in-house and on her own. And she hopes that the independent career path she has taken by returning home to Tanzania from South Africa, inspires other young people in her country, no matter their background, to also be able to pursue fashion if they are so keen. 



She also credits her success to her supportive parents. All of this may make it seem like fashion is fun, and it is for her, but the industry is not free of challenges, she opines. She thinks brands create so many collections every year, but there aren’t enough people who can afford to wear them. “So, I wish fashion would go back a little bit. Today, everybody thinks that they know what fashion is, but they don’t know the main essence. For instance, I like music, but it’s not like I’m going to actually make it. So, I don’t like it when people buy a dress from H&amp;M for cheap and they think, ‘I know what fashion is’… I definitely want to change that,” she adds.



This is the reason why she wants high-quality local brands to reach the most people and hopes to have a local store of her own, as she currently works and sells from home. With all these aspirations, and while being a young, South Asian-origin female designer, doing everything on her own is not easy, she is humbled and inspired by being able to create fashion at home in Tanzania. 



“It is challenging but like in one way, it has made me very open minded. Because we are surrounded with mixed backgrounds… I think that has made me very open to different types of people. It just signifies there is hope,” she says, with faith in her craft and optimism for the world.

pic supplied

Inspiration From Where Life Happens

FORBES AFRICA is on the hunt for Africans under the age of 30, who are leading the charge building brands, creating jobs and transforming the continent, to join the magazine&#8217;s Under 30 community for 2021.



Attention entrepreneurs, creatives, sports stars and technology geeks — the 2021 FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 nominations are now officially open.



Each year, FORBES AFRICA looks for resilient self-starters, innovators, entrepreneurs and disruptors who have the acumen to stay the course in their chosen field, come what may.



The FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 list is the most-anticipated list of game-changers on the continent and this year, we are on the hunt for 30 of Africa’s brightest achievers under the age of 30 spanning these categories: Business, Technology, Creatives, and Sport.



Past honorees include Mr Eazi, Lloyd Harris, Sho Madjozi, Bruce Diale, Karabo Poppy, Thuso Mbedu, Nomzamo Mbatha, Burna Boy, Nthabiseng Mosia, Davido, Shamim Nabuuma Kaliisa, Nasty C and WizKid.



Continuing with a final list of 30, this year will go down in history as the Under 30s who survived and thrived during one of the most turbulent times recorded: the global COVID-19 pandemic.



“The FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 is the most coveted list of the year, and we will be celebrating seven years of the list in 2021. What will make this compilation even more compelling will be the fighting spirit of the candidates that made it through a challenging year. They need to be honored even more for their tenacity and resilience as leaders charting a non-linear trajectory to success,” says Renuka Methil, Managing Editor of FORBES AFRICA.



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49141" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



If you think you have what it takes to be on this year’s list or know an entrepreneur, creative, technology entrepreneur, or sports star under the age of 30 with a proven track record on the continent – introduce them to FORBES AFRICA by submitting your nomination.



<h3 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-the-judging-process-will-take-place-in-four-stages">The judging process will take place in four stages:</h3>



● The first stage will be the evaluation of your motivation. If you do not hear back from us (within a specific period), please deem your nomination as unsuccessful.



● The second stage will require potential candidates to submit more documentation for the next stage of assessment.



● The third stage will include an analysis of your financials, revenue model and credibility as in-depth research will be conducted into who you are and your company/team (no criminal records, troubling lawsuits/bankruptcies, allegations of crime, bad behavior, sexual harassment/abuse or fraud).



● The final stage will have an expert panel of judges assess the strong candidates, whittling them down to the final 30. The editorial and research team makes the final selection based on judges’ scoring/remarks and adjusts for diversity across company type, gender, background, etc.



NOMINATIONS AND APPLICATIONS CRITERIA:



Please read and take careful note of the following before applying. 



<h3 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-business-and-technology-categories">Business and Technology categories</h3>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/tech.png.png" alt="" class="wp-image-41042" width="326" height="305" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/tech.png.png 412w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/tech.png-300x281.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 326px) 100vw, 326px" /><figcaption>2019 30 under 30s in technology: Eric Muli, Nthabiseng Mosia, Courtney Bentley. (Photo: Motlabana Monnakgotla)</figcaption></figure></div>



<ol><li>Must be an entrepreneur/founder aged 29 or younger on 31 March 2021</li><li>Should have a legitimate REGISTERED business on the continent</li><li>Business/businesses should be two years or older</li><li>Nominees must have risked own money and have a social impact</li><li>Must be profit generating</li><li>Must employ people in Africa</li><li>All applications must be in English</li><li>Should be available and prepared to participate in the Under 30 Meet-Up</li></ol>



<h3 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-sports-category">Sports category</h3>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/sport.png.png" alt="" class="wp-image-41057" width="278" height="247" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/sport.png.png 412w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/sport.png-300x267.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 278px) 100vw, 278px" /><figcaption>2019 30 under 30s in sport: Sabrina Simader, Patricia Aplot, Clarence Munyai. (Photo: Motlabana Monnakgotla)</figcaption></figure></div>



<ol><li>Must be a sports person aged 29 or younger on 31 March 2021</li><li>Must be representing an African team</li><li>Should have a proven track record of no less than two years</li><li>Should be making significant earnings</li><li>Should have some endorsement deals</li><li>Entrepreneurship and social impact is a plus</li><li>All applications must be in English</li><li>Should be available and prepared to participate in the Under 30 Meet-Up</li></ol>



<h3 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-creatives-category">Creatives category</h3>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Creatives.png.png" alt="" class="wp-image-41044" width="270" height="196" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Creatives.png.png 410w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Creatives.png-300x219.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px" /><figcaption>2019 30 under 30 creatives: Karabo Poppy Moletsane, Thando Thabethe, Petite Noir. (Photo: Motlabana Monnakgotla)</figcaption></figure></div>



<ol><li>Must be a creative aged 29 or younger on 31 March 2021</li><li>Must be from or based in Africa</li><li>Should be making significant earnings</li><li>Should have a proven creative record of no less than two years</li><li>Must have social influence</li><li>Entrepreneurship and social impact is a plus</li><li>All applications must be in English</li><li>Should be available and prepared to participate in the Under 30 Meet-Up</li></ol>



If you think you have what it takes to be on the coveted list for 2021, or know change-makers in the business, technology, creative or sports sectors under the age of 30 with a proven track record on the African continent, introduce them to FORBES AFRICA by submitting your nomination. 



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/?p=49019" target="_blank">Click here to Nominate/Apply </a>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49142" width="446" height="446" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-80x80.jpg 80w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-600x600.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px" /></figure></div>

UNDER30 (1080×566)

Nominations Open For FORBES AFRICA’s 30 Under 30 Class Of 2021

“I don’t want to go to college anymore; I want to be a YouTube star.” When Nikita Kopotun’s  younger brother, Denis, shared his dream of  becoming a full-time Roblox streamer at 17, he wanted to help. Having just completed an internship at Cisco in China, the Queen’s University engineering student used the connections he’d made with Shanghai factories to manufacture stuffed animals Denis could sell to fans and help his brother turn a profit. Five years later, Denis has 9 million YouTube followers and banks seven-figures a year, while Kopotun has got a business: Juniper, an ecommerce company that partners with influencers to manufacture merchandise to promote their brands.



“We believe influencers represent the next era of commerce,” says Kopotun, who made the&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;30 Under 30 list in 2021. “Brands can’t just be built off t-shirts and hoodies so we want to sell flexible supply chain infrastructure to these creators.”



Chief Revenue Officer Kopotun, 26, and his cofounders—CEO Joel Wegner, Chief Culture Officer Will Cartar and CTO Ryan Wong—launched Toronto-based Juniper in 2016. Today, the bootstrapped brand’s 50 employees work with 60 influencers, including ZHC who has over 19 million YouTube subscribers. Juniper finds their most profitable clients publish long-form YouTube videos that earn them at least $500,000 a year. The company partners with them to create custom products and takes a cut of sales. Juniper generated $31 million in revenue in 2020, up 345% from $9 million in 2019, as consumers increasingly shopped, and sought out entertainment, online due to the pandemic.&nbsp;



While the company is headquartered in Canada, its manufacturers are based in China, where a team of 30 mass produce merchandise—from Denis’ tie-wearing cat plushy Sir Meows A Lot, to InquisitorMaster’s floppy-eared furry onesies, to Lanky Box’s cartoon-printed bedding bundle—and within a month of influencers inking a deal. Retail giants like Mattel rarely collaborate with influencers—and when they do, it’s typically with celebrities like Britney Spears—while DIY platforms like Custom Ink and Teespring don’t offer the same level of customization. Selling custom merchandise offers influencers  another way of monetizing their fanbases. This has enabled many of Juniper’s clients to double or triple their revenues each year. 



For influencers, Juniper’s products can serve as a launchpad. This past year, Denis’ Sir Meows A Lot became the protagonist of a YouTube cartoon series with nearly 1 million subscribers. “The designs and branding that Juniper did changed the way my channel looked,” he says. “It’s so easy to make any product by just slapping a logo on it, but to make products that characters very specific to that creator’s audience is so much more valuable.”



Unlike his influencer clients, who grew up on the internet, Kopotun spent most of his childhood in studios training to be an elite ballet dancer. He was sidelined at 17 with tendonitis in his knee, but believes his training has set him up for success as a founder. “I learned a lot about personal rigor and work ethics which has transitioned really well into business,” he says.



That tenacity has earned him clients like Jack Douglas, an influencer whose YouTube video series,&nbsp;Yesterday I Asked You, has garnered 92 million views. He partnered with Juniper after the company cold emailed him a plan to create a board game based on his show. “All I’ve wanted to do for years now is to take&nbsp;YIAY&nbsp;and diversity into games,” says Douglas. “Having&nbsp;YIAY&nbsp;exist as a board game wouldn’t have happened without Juniper.” In addition to the board game, scheduled to be released this spring, the two have also produced a plushy version of Douglas’ toy American Eskimo, Klondike.&nbsp;



Despite the growth Kopotun has seen this past year, he isn’t resting on his laurels. His goal is to transform Juniper into a tech platform that enables influencers to set up stores and sell custom products without the help of customer support representatives. He hopes that this platform—as well as a refined manufacturing process to produce more orders and of different sizes, allowing Juniper to serve smaller influencers—will be ready to launch in early 2022. “What we really want to be doing is supporting all sorts of brands and extending ourselves to the bottom 99% of creators,”  says Kopotun. “We believe that we’ll be able to hit unicorn status in the coming years by building this out.”



By Alexandra Sternlicht, Forbes Staff

1602605560067

Meet The Company Making $31 Million A Year Helping Influencers Build Their Brands With Custom Merch

FORBES AFRICA is on the hunt for Africans under the age of 30, who are leading the charge building brands, creating jobs and transforming the continent, to join the magazine&#8217;s Under 30 community for 2021.



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49141" width="489" height="367" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UNDER30-1200x9004-1-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 489px) 100vw, 489px" /></figure></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“The FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 is our most coveted list of the year, and we will be celebrating seven years of the list in 2021&#8230;&#8221; &#8211;Renuka Methil, Managing Editor of FORBES AFRICA.</blockquote>



<a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/under-30/2020/12/14/nominations-open-for-forbes-africa-30-under-30-class-of-2020/">Please ensure that you have read entry requirements before applying.</a>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-nominations-are-now-closed">NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49142" width="377" height="377" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-80x80.jpg 80w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-600x600.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30under30-black-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 377px) 100vw, 377px" /></figure></div>

UNDER30 (1200×900)2

Call For Nominations To FORBES AFRICA’s 30 Under 30 Class Of 2021

The small-towner started off as a model, then ventured into fashion, constructing Afro-urban clothing the unconventional way. Lebogang Makgale is a creative on a mission.



In Johannesburg’s cultural and creative nerve center that is Newtown, a chic district in the inner city with bustling clubs, cafés and art galleries, Lebogang Makgale’s fashion studio is an apt adornment.



The curious, vibrant young passers-by outside his door often stop to inspect his garments but to the 27-year-old fashionista, the uncontested center-piece in his bright blue studio is a hard-working sewing machine he bought for $34. It stands as a symbol of hope that gave fresh impetus to his life – and continues to be his career’s biggest investment, carefully-positioned in a corner enveloped by photographs from his first fashion collection. 



The space is otherwise strewn with clothes, fabric and accounting books. He is at ease with each of these objects. After all, his journey started studying accountancy at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), a venerable higher learning institution located close to where he is today.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Long before that, in high school, the Soweto-born creative artiste called himself ‘MacGale’, a play on his surname, which he artfully inscribed on classroom desks. The name stuck.



It must have been ordained. Today, that’s also the name of his fashion brand.



“A bookworm, shy and not very social” in school, fortunately, his interest in sport and athletics ensured he always had a coterie of friends and followers. But he also had another quality that endeared him to them – his interest in fashion and his distinct sartorial sense.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



&nbsp;He wanted to be a sports star, and his parents wanted him to become a chartered accountant, but this was the only talent – like his self-styled sobriquet – that stuck, and carried him through his growing years.



&nbsp;He pursued an extended diploma in accounting, but Makgale felt out of place; accounting was dull and gloomy in comparison with the myriad colors of the fashion world.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_1145-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47849" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_1145-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_1145-scaled-300x450.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_1145-scaled-600x900.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_1145-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_1145-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_1145-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_1145-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_1145-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></figure>



“About seven months into the course, a classmate told me that I am tall and had style and advised me to take on modeling. I took it seriously and joined an agency. They [the agencies] told me I am not tall enough, not masculine enough, but I persisted despite everything being shut out,” recalls Makgale when we meet him one warm January afternoon in Johennesburg.



Floyd Manotoano, known in South Africa’s emancipated fashion circuit as Floyd Avenue and winner of the GQ Scouting Menswear Competition in 2017, gave Makgale the modeling platform, and he didn’t look back.



His trips to designers’ studios for fittings and fashion shows only grew his innate love for couture.



“I was still enrolled at UJ but not going to class, I was going to studio. My transport fare and lunch money were used to buy fabric. We always had a plan showcasing across Johannesburg and always buying fabric. A friend also taught me how to thread a sewing machine. I was also introduced to styling and started consulting to make outfits for matric dances,” says Makgale.&nbsp;



The networking and mingling in the fashion world helped. He thereby met a tailor who sold him his sewing machine for $34. Now, all he needed was to perfect his craft.&nbsp;



He turned to technology, and characteristically for a youngster in the digital age, sought the help of online tutorials to learn to sew. He debuted with an ethnic Ndebele print collection.



In 2013, reality kicked in. His father asked for his varsity results. He had to break the news to him. That he was not keen on accounting, and he had been bunking classes. His concerned father asked him: “There are a lot of designers, how are you going to make money?”



He had enrolled at a fashion school with little knowledge and experience of the industry. But he was beginning to make an impression with his clothes.



Two years in, Makgale dropped out to focus on the business side of fashion. Being blogged about and being known on the streets wasn’t paying the bills; he had to make ends meet.



“I disappeared and disconnected from the street to focus on the brand, MacGale. I had to start from scratch. I had to create a client base, a target market. I slowly established myself as a professional fashion designer. That’s when the true identity of the brand evolved, in 2015,” he says.



During his off-grid period, he worked on a collection for BackToTheCity, South Africa’s biggest annual hip-hop and street culture festival. 2015 was a definitive year for him; he tailored an African-inspired street wear collection and incorporated it with plastic.



Soon after, fashion photographer Chris Saunders approached him. He was shooting for an international magazine profiling the coolest kids in Johannesburg. Saunders selected Makgale and that became part of a showcase at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam.



&nbsp;Business started trickling in; Makgale was making matric dance suits, whilst polishing his designing skills.



“There was a time when that was the only kind of work I would be getting. It wasn’t fun, but it made business sense because the matric boys would refer everyone to me,” he recalls.



In 2015, he was also introduced to cycling by a long-time friend and athlete. His original love for sport was stoked. But there again, his love for fashion prevailed.



“Cycling equipment and kits are expensive. The color combinations didn’t make sense to me, so I made [comfortable clothes] I could cycle in that would also look cool. I started with jackets with pockets at the back, then shorts with tights that go underneath. I then decided to make a fashionable active wear collection,” he says.



About a year later, this got the attention of Moja Nation, an advertising agency working on the ‘Let Wonder Out’ campaign for Oreo cookies. This was going to be Makgale’s first corporate gig.



Despite the challenges he faced, Oreo loved his work and asked him to work on their second campaign. This time, he was more experienced and able to execute the whole order by himself.



He worked on it whilst helping Floyd Avenue with his 2017 South Africa Fashion Week collection.



“I worked with Lebo when I won the GQ award. I’ve known him for a long time; I even made his matric dance suit that was inspired by Kanye West. I’ve seen his growth; he has invested in his craft. I knew him as a student at UJ. Years later, we started meeting at fashion events and started working together,” says Floyd Avenue.



In 2017, Makgale was also part of a TV show, 100 Percent Youth, on SABC1, which documented his sourcing and creation processes.



“I came across striped fabric and fell in love with it. I made a striped jacket live on camera. Little did I know that was the beginning of an era, I started my stripe journey,” he recalls.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The stripes inspired his tailored suits, not of the traditional kind, but also motivated by waistcoats, and women’s wear like corsets and dungarees. This was his third official collection.&nbsp;



After 100 Percent Youth was aired, he started receiving more orders for his suits and he was soon appearing in season two of SABC’s fashion reality TV show Raw Silk. He made it to the top five and that too got him traction and customers.



By this point, he had developed working relationships with hip and happening local celebrities such as Khetsiwe Morgan, also known as DJ Doowap. Most of the women’s garments that Makgale creates are for her. He had never seen himself crafting womenswear until Raw Silk happened.



“I don’t like shopping at the mall; I’m about creating things that no one wears, so I was trying to find a tailor for the longest time. My boyfriend told me about Lebo’s collection, I met him and he is super-easy to work with. He is super-honest and tells me when something isn’t going to work. The first garment he made for me was for the Metro FM Awards in 2017, he made a three-piece garment using Swati fabric,” says DJ Doowap.



Makgale has expanded his business since and is working on costume design for local and international advertising campaigns. His journey started in an accounting classroom. But today, he is a passionate fashion entrepreneur on his way up. He may not be balancing books, but he is certainly on the money.

IMG_1130

The $34 Investment That Fashioned A Career

Tsholanang Mathibe never let her humble upbringing come in the way of her big dreams designing for the rich and famous in South Africa.



Picture this. Somewhere in Kanana, a rural village in the innards of South Africa’s North West province, a young girl takes a break from a routine day out playing in the fields with her friends, and accidentally leafs through the fashion pages of a glossy magazine, awe-struck by the style and design aesthetics of the big city. And she plans her life in that one moment.&nbsp;



Today, at 29, Tsholanang Mathibe is a fashion entrepreneur and founder of Blackmarble Designs in South Africa’s capital Pretoria, designing for brides and businesswomen, but still recalling that day in the sun when life shone her career path.



“I’ve never seen myself doing anything else from the age of nine,” says Mathibe.



The coronavirus-induced economic downturn in South Africa has no doubt affected her business as well, but it is a good time to reflect on how far she has come, and how much farther she wants to go.



“Lockdown has affected business greatly because most of our clients get garments done to attend special events. With [not many of those events happening], people are sceptical [about] purchasing costumed clothing,” she says.



Mathibe is now fashioning face-masks and recently rented out a wedding gown for a private ceremony.



Her formative years were tough. After high school, she moved to Pretoria for a B.Tech in Fashion Design at the Tshwane University of Technology. It was not easy adjusting to life in the city and the challenges of higher education. She even briefly mulled switching careers to deejaying, but her mother motivated her to stay the course.



“The fashion journey is tough, and the fact that people don’t talk about that side of the industry baffles me, because when I was in high school, I thought it was all glitz and&nbsp; glamor, until I got to varsity.”



When it came to finally starting her own business and choosing a name for her brand, she harked back to her maths classes in school, when her teacher, in discussing numbers, always referred to marbles.



Mathibe used it in conjunction with black, her favorite color, and Blackmarble Designs was born.



The maths teacher had also shown interest in the young creative that Mathibe was and arranged for her to meet with fashion designer, Ephraim Molingoane of Ephymol, a menswear fashion label.



Blackmarble was registered in 2013 when she was still in her final year, and commenced operations in 2014.



“I was helped by the fact that I won an industrial sewing machine for a fashion range I had produced during my third year, when students showcase their work. I won the best innovation award. That helped me start my business.”



In the first year of operation, Mathibe was working out of her aunt’s backroom in Soweto, sleeping alongside her equipment and waking up to work all day or night.



“I spent most of my time in that room doing mostly ready-to-wear garments to showcase and sell at social markets between Johannesburg and Cape Town. A client then referred South Africa’s popular radio deejay, DJ Sabby, to me. He needed an outfit for the J&amp;B MET. That was my first celebrity client,” she recalls.



The following year, she moved back to Pretoria to live with her partner. Business was picking up and she enjoyed making bespoke outfits rather than ready-to-wear. She also started promoting the brand online to reach a wider audience; things were getting better and the business had momentum.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DSCF8205.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47572"/></figure>



“I am still using my home as my studio, and in 2019, the business got its first bridal client and since then, that was the market we were mostly [focusing] on before the lockdown,” she says.



Her first client for a bridal outfit was Lindiwe Sibiloane, who had seen a matric dance garment that Mathibe had designed.



“I was looking for something very similar to that [matric dance garment]; then I asked her to do a bridal gown, and she did it. I am still happy about it, everyone was raving about that dress; they still are,” says Sibiloane.



Mathibe’s bridal gowns cost upwards of $1,000.



So far, Blackmarble Designs has also dressed FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 alumna such as South African actor Thuso Mbedu and Reabetswe Ngwane, co-founder and MD of Kreamfields, who incidentally, Mathibe has known from primary school.



Mathibe dressed Ngwane for the glamorous Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo social event in 2019.



“I told her I needed a dress. I gave her a brief the week of the event. I sent her a few pictures I had seen on Pinterest. A few days later, the dress was done to the ‘T’ and didn’t need any adjustments, save for a button,” says Ngwane.



Somewhere in Kanana, a young girl must be reading this article now and being suitably inspired, just like Mathibe had been, all those years ago.&nbsp;

DSCF8086

A Day In The Fields, A Lifetime In Fashion

Join the conversation: Submit questions and see agenda below.&nbsp;



This livestream is sponsored by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.curtindubai.ac.ae/?utm_source=Forbes&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_campaign=u30live">Curtin University Dubai</a> and <a href="https://www.lancaster.edu.gh/?utm_source=Forbes&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_campaign=u30live">Lancaster University Ghana</a>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Forbes Africa: In conversation with U30 Class of 2020" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wYTu4L8-DYM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



[The stream is slated to start at 3:00 pm CAT on 7th April. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player below at that time.]



This virtual event is free to attend. Register your interest <a href="https://mailchi.mp/forbesafrica.com/u302020">here</a>.



Confirmed panelists



<ul><li>Shamim Nabuuma</li><li>Keitumetsi Qhali</li><li>Paul Makaya</li><li>Thobo Khathola</li></ul>

Watch live: FORBES AFRICA’s Under30 in conversation with the managing editor — Leadership & Management Amid Crisis

IMG_5222

Forbes Africa #30Under30 List: Leading The Charge

FORBES AFRICA is on the hunt for Africans under the age of 30, who are building brands, creating jobs and transforming the continent, to join our Under 30 community for 2020.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



JOHANNESBURG, 07 January 2020: Attention entrepreneurs,
creatives, sport stars and technology geeks — the 2020 FORBES AFRICA Under 30
nominations are now officially open. 



The
FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 list is the most-anticipated list of game-changers on
the continent and this year, we are on the hunt for 30 of Africa’s brightest
achievers under the age of 30 spanning these categories: Business, Technology,
Creatives and Sport.



Each
year, FORBES AFRICA looks for resilient self-starters, innovators,
entrepreneurs and disruptors who have the acumen to stay the course in their
chosen field, come what may.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="685" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Under-30-online-2020-1024x685.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42458" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Under-30-online-2020-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Under-30-online-2020-300x201.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Under-30-online-2020-600x401.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Under-30-online-2020-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Under-30-online-2020-1536x1027.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Under-30-online-2020.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Past honorees include Sho Madjozi, Bruce Diale, Karabo Poppy, Kwesta, Nomzamo Mbatha, Burna Boy, Nthabiseng Mosia, Busi Mkhumbuzi Pooe, Henrich Akomolafe, Davido, Yemi Alade, Vere Shaba, Nasty C and WizKid.



What’s different this year is that we have whittled down the list to just 30 finalists, making the competition stiff and the vetting process even more rigorous.&nbsp;



Says
FORBES AFRICA’s Managing Editor, Renuka Methil: “The start of a new decade
means the unraveling of fresh talent on the African continent. I can’t wait to
see the potential billionaires who will land up on our desks. Our coveted sixth
annual Under 30 list will herald some of the decade’s biggest names in business
and life.” 



If you think you have what it takes to be on this year’s list or know an entrepreneur, creative, technology entrepreneur or sports star under 30 with a proven track-record on the continent – introduce them to FORBES AFRICA by applying or submitting your nomination.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="724" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/poster-1-724x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42456" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/poster-1-724x1024.jpg 724w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/poster-1-300x424.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/poster-1-600x849.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/poster-1-212x300.jpg 212w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/poster-1-768x1087.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/poster-1-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/poster-1.jpg 1357w" sizes="(max-width: 724px) 100vw, 724px" /></figure>



NOMINATIONS AND APPLICATIONS CRITERIA:



Business
and Technology categories



<ol><li>Must be an
 entrepreneur/founder aged 29 or younger on 31 March 2020</li><li>Should have a legitimate
 REGISTERED business on the continent</li><li>Business/businesses
 should be two years or older</li><li>Nominees must have risked
 own money and have a social impact</li><li>Must be profit generating</li><li>Must employ people in
 Africa</li><li>All applications must be
 in English</li><li>Should be available and
 prepared to participate in the Under 30 Meet-Up</li></ol>



Sports
category



<ol><li>Must be a sports person
 aged 29 or younger on 31 March 2020</li><li>Must be representing an
 African team</li><li>Should have a proven
 track record of no less than two years</li><li>Should be making
 significant earnings</li><li>Should have some
 endorsement deals</li><li>Entrepreneurship and
 social impact is a plus</li><li>All applications must be
 in English</li><li>Should be available and
 prepared to participate in the Under 30 Meet-Up</li></ol>



Creatives
category



<ol><li>Must be a creative aged 29
 or younger on 31 March 2020</li><li>Must be from or based in
 Africa</li><li>Should be making significant
 earnings</li><li>Should have a proven
 creative record of no less than two years</li><li>Must have social
 influence</li><li>Entrepreneurship and
 social impact is a plus</li><li>All applications must be
 in English</li><li>Should be available and
 prepared to participate in the Under 30 Meet-Up</li></ol>



Your
entry should include:



<ul><li>Country</li><li>Full Names</li><li>Company name/Team you are
 applying with</li><li>A short motivation on why
 you should be on the list</li><li>A short profile on self
 and company</li><li>Links to published
 material / news clippings about nominee </li><li>All social media handles</li><li>Contact information</li><li>High-res images of
 yourself</li></ul>



Applications and nominations must be sent via email to FORBES AFRICA journalist and curator of the list, Karen Mwendera, on <a href="mailto:Karen.Mwendera@abn360.com">Karen.Mwendera@abn360.com</a> 



Nominations
close on 3 February 2020.

Category: Under 30

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

More from Under 30