One of my favourite things about sitting down with creative allies is how restorative those conversations can be. There’s something deeply reassuring about speaking with someone who wrestles with many of the same questions you do. Conversations like these remind you that self doubt, uncertainty, ambition, and the search for purpose are rarely yours alone. They are shared experiences, even if they unfold differently for each of us. That was the feeling I was left with after my

On 27 June 2026, I attended the 2026 official launch of amaQHAWEkazi at Sumthing Sumthing. Founded in 2022 by iQhawe Media and supported by iQhawe Magazine, amaQHAWEkazi, which translates to “heroines” in English, is a platform created to support, celebrate and connect creative women and women-aligned individuals across South Africa. Through mentorship, education, events and community building, the platform is trying to create spaces where ideas can grow, voices can be hear

Since launching Design Week South Africa in 2024, our team of organisers has had the privilege of connecting with inspiring local and international designers, practitioners and curators who have each contributed to shaping our vision of Design Week. These engagements have not only enriched the programme, but have also reinforced the importance of collaboration, dialogue, and shared knowledge in building a meaningful and sustainable design ecosystem. In response to this growin

Following the success of Next Level, Lelowhatsgood’s EP Rebirth Is Necessary explores themes of growth, transformation, identity and becoming through a blend of 3 Step, Afro Tech, Gqom, Is’qinsi and experimental club music. The project pushes against traditional genre boundaries while bringing together different influences into a single sonic world. Inspired by ideas of distortion, reconstruction and self formation, Rebirth Is Necessary extends these themes beyond the music a

Acclaimed DJ and SAMA-nominated artist, creative visionary, and cultural tastemaker Lelowhatsgood gives us Rebirth Is Necessary, a project that expands the boundaries of African electronic music while remaining deeply personal in its exploration of growth, belonging and becoming. By Khaya Mnisi Hi there word seeker, before you continue absorbing this beautiful article, a quick note: If you enjoy our work, the best way to support us is by subscribing to our newsletter, and fol

Sofar Johannesburg brings its signature secret show format back to the city on the 27th of June - the venue and artists are revealed 36 hours before doors open. All images courtesy of Sofar Johannesburg Before you continue absorbing this beautiful article, a quick note: If you enjoy our work, the best way to support us is by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram. It helps more people discover what we’re building — and keeps you in the loop. Thanks for

Following the release of her new EP, 4PLAY, Money Badoo reflects on creative freedom, experimentation, international growth and the experiences that have shaped her evolution as an artist.

New Balance officially wrapped up its month-long "Grey Days" celebration with multi-sensory community experiences at Espressolab in De Waterkant, Cape Town on May 28th, 2026, and at One Park on the 29th of May. Before you continue absorbing this beautiful article, a quick note: If you enjoy our work, the best way to support us is by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram. It helps more people discover what we’re building — and keeps you in the loop. Th

“To encounter one of [Zizipho Poswa’s] sculptures is not merely an act of viewing art; it is an immersion in the transcendence of a simple ‘pinch pot’ into a monument to Xhosa cultural heritage and symbolism, to female solidarity, and to the enduring bonds between clay – practical and sacred, ancestral and living – and the female body it seeks to invoke.” – Barbara Thompson, PhD, independent art historian, curator, and art consultant Zizipho Poswa. All images courtesy of Sout

On 28 May 2026, Southern Guild Cape Town opened How to Like It, a solo exhibition of new oil-on-linen paintings by London-based artist Lucy Robson. The exhibition runs until 9 July 2026. Lucy Robson is a London-based painter whose practice draws on photography, fashion imagery, and cinematic reference points to explore femininity, desire, and the emotional structures of romantic love. Her work is informed by pre-internet visual culture, nostalgia, and Girlhood, and often stag

Africa Rising Music Conference (ARMC) 2026 concluded this past weekend at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, delivering two days of forward-thinking conversations, international networking, and cultural exchange that further cemented ARMC’s position as one of Africa’s most important music industry platforms. Bringing together over 1000 artists, executives, entrepreneurs, policymakers, creatives and innovators from over 15 countries over the two conference days, ARMC 2026 foc

By Khaya Mnisi About six publications or so, plus a lot of influencers and fashion pages, have covered New Balance’s Grey Days 2026 campaign. It’s their annual month-long celebration of their most iconic colourway-grey. Meanwhile, from what I’ve seen, only two media outlets, Kreative Kornerr and Art Moves Culture, covered the release of the Boys of Soweto Meerkat Retro Kicks I mean look at how cool these kicks are And honestly, that bores me. Not because the BOS Retro Kicks d

A week ago, I had the opportunity to get on a WhatsApp voice call with one of South Africa’s growing voices in fashion and Cape Town’s creative culture, Awonke Moko, who many may already know through DJing. But the conversation we had stretched far beyond music. It became a conversation about fashion, identity, influence, creativity, and the importance of building from where you come from. If you’ve seen Awonke in real life or even through Instagram, you immediately get the s

Kwasukasukela, exactly on the first of May at 00:00 SAST, South African DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer Muzi blessed us with the visuals for ‘Uhlanga’, as part of the rollout leading into the release of his album Electric Zululand. The song features South African singer and songwriter Zoë Modiga. When I saw clips of Uhlanga on Instagram, I instantly jumped onto YouTube to fully absorb the work of art. Imagine this scenario: YOU’VE decided to join a cult for reaso

Before the release had even settled in, people were already dubbing jaykatana and BrotherKupas ‘Who Dat At My Door’one of the standout South African hip hop visuals of the year. Directed by Jack Markovitz, with production design and wardrobe by Francesco “Franadilla” Mbele, the video skips the tired rap music video formula, no half-naked girls or rented sports cars. Instead, it trades cheap spectacle for a "film" built on history, memory, and haunting symbolism that actually

Glory Days, a new solo exhibition by Brooklynbased multidisciplinary artist Chloe Chiasson, opens at Southern Guild New York on May 21, 2026. Across her practice, Chiasson draws from her upbringing in small-town Texas to construct immersive, image-dense works shaped by memory, Queer subjectivity, and the symbolic architectures of the American South. Chloe Chiasson. All images courtesy of Southern Guild Operating between image and structure, Chiasson’s compositions bring toget

The Africa Rising Music Conference (ARMC), taking place on 22–23 May 2026 at Constitution Hill, has released its full programme. This update covers the daytime conference agenda and the complete ARMC by Night lineup. The event features a landmark partnership with Johnnie Walker AfroExchange, with Jaecoo serving as the official mobility partner. ARMC by Night Lineup ARMC by Night returns with its most globally diverse and genre-spanning programme to date, bringing together a p

A new wave of South African artists is stepping onto the global stage, with Money Badooleading the charge. At the centre of this movement is the genre-bending artist herself, returning with her boldest and most globally resonant release yet, RUDEBOl. The single sets the tone for her highly anticipated EP, 4PLAY, arriving 5 June, and marks a defining moment in her evolution from local disruptor to an international creative force. Created in Berlin during her first visit to the

Dorcas Mutombo is a fashion designer based in Cape Town. She was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in South Africa after moving during her childhood. She completed her schooling in Stellenbosch and went on to study fashion design, where she also specialised in knitwear during her advanced diploma. Alongside fashion, she has recently expanded into photography and is currently studying entrepreneurship. Dorcas Mutombo. All images courtesy of Dorcas Mutombo For

Faces and Phases 20 is an independent exhibition and city-wide activation by visual activist and 2026 Hasselblad Award Laureate, Sir Zanele Muholi, which will unfold during the opening of the 61st Venice Biennale. Marking 20 years of Muholi’s seminal photographic series, the project reflects one of the most significant ongoing visual archives of Black LGBTQIA+ lives globally. Opening on 5 May 2026 at the residence of Trisja Malisoff and Tony Podesta in the Castello district o