When we talk  African luxury, what exactly do we mean? This was the opening question posed by Garreth Van Niekerk, co-founder of Capitec Handmade Africa, during our warm and unscripted conversation. It’s a question that lingers at the heart of this annual celebration of African design, offering a fresh take on luxury that centres on craftsmanship, sustainability, and storytelling; showcased in its unequivocal curation reminiscent of the pain staking  journey of  shaking multiple  frozen braai packs to find the best pieces that the market has to offer… a journey that ends with love for serving a community with the finest that you can literally get your hands on.

As we thaw into the deeper conversation that brings us here, it becomes increasingly clear that for Garreth, luxury is not about extravagance but about authenticity. “Travelling across Africa to source these products is a dream job for me,” he says, reflecting on the journey that brought him to this point. Under his leadership, Capitec Handmade Africa has become a platform for high-quality African craftsmanship, connecting artisans to global markets.

Garreth envisions building an “Etsy for African products”—a digital marketplace that bridges the gap between artisans and consumers, making authentic handmade products more accessible. “This would lower the cost implications and increase global accessibility to African craftsmanship,” he explains.

Showcasing Africa’s Creative Talent

“The collection at Capitec Handmade Africa was a mix of our classic ready-to-wear items, such as our Classic Glotto Saddle pants, which pay homage to Botswana’s cowboy or herdboy culture, alongside our handmade crochet hats and limited-edition pride skirts. We aim to create garments that reflect African fauna and flora while embedding narrative and functionality into every piece.”

This ethos resonates with the event’s core values of promoting sustainable African fashion and empowering artisans. You can read our full interview with Glotto’s founder here.

Another standout brand was Berry Homeware, led by founders Katleho and Neo, siblings who are making waves in the home décor space where “every item is created locally, using the finest quality materials”. Their bold and sensuous products reflect a commitment to craftsmanship, with each piece telling a story. Don’t miss their exclusive interview here.

So Who is Garreth Van Niekerk?

Garreth Van Niekerk is a multifaceted creative professional celebrated for his contributions as a curator, creative director, and advocate for African design. He co-founded Capitec Handmade Africa, a platform that champions authentic African craftsmanship and sustainable practices, alongside Lesley Hudson.

Garreth’s career began in journalism, where he honed his storytelling skills as a writer and editor. His roles included time as an editor for Wanted Online, where he focused on design, art, and the evolving luxury market. In a 2022 interview with Wanted Magazine, Garreth emphasised his passion for design and the stories that bring products to life, underscoring his commitment to sustainable African narratives.

His expertise extends to creative direction and product curation, where he has worked with some of South Africa’s most notable brands and publications. Garreth’s diverse skill set includes creative strategy, concept development, and storytelling. He has played a pivotal role in elevating African luxury by connecting artisans with global markets and fostering an appreciation for the continent’s rich design heritage.

Beyond Capitec Handmade Africa, Garreth serves as the co-director of Decorex Africa, a major design exhibition, further solidifying his influence in the creative industry. His personal and professional mission aligns with preserving and amplifying African narratives through design, storytelling, and innovation.

His work continues to reshape global perceptions of African luxury, placing craftsmanship and community at the forefront.

Capitec’s Role in Promoting African Craftsmanship

Capitec Bank plays a pivotal role in this journey. Patel, from Capitec’s events team, emphasises the bank’s commitment to showcasing African talent and fostering sustainability. Patel noted how the event aligns with Capitec’s vision of empowering communities and promoting local craftsmanship globally.

In closing

As Africa continues to make its mark on the global stage, events like Capitec Handmade Africa are leading the way in redefining luxury. Under the stewardship of Garreth Van Niekerk and Lesley Hudson, the event isn’t just about showcasing beautiful products—it’s about changing perceptions, empowering artisans, and building a sustainable future for African design.

This story begins a year ago when I ran into a festival by fate/algorithm/or pure luck. The covid pandemic was in the distant past yet a dark cloud of its shady aftermath was riddled with conspiracies, jabs, digital start-ups, DIY and not forgetting cabin fever; a lot of people were itching to mission if you get what I’m saying, people wanted to go out, like REALLY out and what better way would it be than to head towards a little-known musical festival that celebrates Rock, folk, and Electronic Music called Mieliepop, located at Lothair, Mpumalanga. I had such an eye-opening experience, especially as a person of colour in a predominantly Afrikaans festival; I decided to put a small team together to experience and share their unique stories. This is a summary of experiences, some sticky, some refreshing and some downright weird.

Arrival

The whole team arrived from different parts of town and with plenty of things to take care of before we could head out into the open; I’m talking emails, children, meetings and all high-priority things including packing your 2-ply toilet paper and doing your squats (more about that later). Even after all the preparations the most prepared was the “festival virgin” who clearly did her research and left nothing to chance. 

We arrived at our campsite right in the thick of the night and with the collective experience that we have as campers, we were able to pick the most ideal area to build our temporary homestead –  around a dwarf tree with the most mischievous shade.

We set up camp, had some shots of tequila, and headed right into the belly of the festival, the Rave Cave.

The Cave, Stage and The Woods

The Rave Cave

The Rave Cave was downhill from our campsite and tucked in between the pool bar and pool stage, you could spot it easily by following the thumping bass muffled by the bodies filling the cave; walking in there felt much like the opening scene to the first Blade movie. Drinks were as cold and as fast as a Joburg police officer and came with some really cool and reusable eco-friendly freebies. We headed there and zoned out to some EDM and some really unique interactions with the rave crowd, it was truly an uplifting experience.  

The biggest highlight from the Rave Cave was Tha Cutt who took us on a musical journey through his open format set that gave a fair share of Hip-Hop, Bass, dnb, dubstep, afrobeat and so many more genres that were basted with a generous amount of scratching. He displayed a cunning ability to find a common thread through music which felt more like an Alley-hoop at the NBA All-star-games, for the other Djs to follow.

The Main Stage

The main stage is actually the first stage you see when arriving from the top of the rolling hills at Campsite B (where the city cars can easily park) and is at the preface of the pool area; the mainstage is where the live acts/bands would perform on a stage big enough to house even The Charles Gene Suite – who by the way had an explosive performance that integrated a lot of sounds and content that reflects the diversity of music at the tip of a South African tongue – more highlights of the main stage which I was also able to catch were the likes of  Morena Leraba,  who pulled crowds from every cave and shadow through his Sesotho chants over electronic beats and melodies. His sound is deeply spiritual, avant-garde and cultural, an enchanting infusion of electronic music and poetry. 

Another Mainstage highlight was Shameless, a band that reminded me of how much  Rock music is deeply engraved and entrenched in the hearts of black people and their history; They were high energy and relatable with a thrilling performance that blended Rock, heavy metal, Punk rock with kasi stories and experiences. Shameless calls their brand of Rock ‘irock yase kasi’ (rock from ‘the hood’) or ‘nkabi rock’ (“Hitman Rock”) .  Their exhilarating performance had us sharing drinks, running away from the moshpit and looking for giant mushrooms to hide under from the heavy rains that followed shortly after their performance.

Cool in The Pool Stage

The path to the Pool stage was bedewed with water splashes from people floating and fooling around in the pool. The stage was a vibrant and refreshing space that came alive from midday to about sunset. We were blessed with great music from minimal house, deep tech to Madonna and loads more. The eclectic sound resonated against the murmur of cheerful conversations, bikinis and an odd trenchcoat, shorts, flops, shades and overall communal energy. Some of the DJs that had me swaying like leaves against a clear sky were, Malik Faquir and DSCO CAM

The Fruity Forest

The Fruity Forest was a bit too fruity for me, it was hilarious, intriguing and at most occasions very trippy. At some point, I saw a tall man with long shiny green pants and a ponytail that reached the back of his knees – Hopping around like a less mischievous Puck from a midsummer night’s dream…The toilets were absolutely filthy in the forest and feels like people were just left to their own devices…That’s all I’m going to say about that.

The People

Check out more images titled The people of Mieliepop 2023 here

The outfits were a bit safe and only a few were dressed as weirdly as the street style at the Paris fashion week. Most people were very friendly, filled with banter and open to engaging with each other regardless of background, race, gender and identity, and those that don’t F*ck with you would straight up ignore you.

There was also a lot of love shared between people of colour, from sharing stories to meals, laughter and experiences. Most of us found ourselves re-linking at the pop-up Jagermeister stage.

Facilities

The showers were warm in the mornings and surprisingly empty (not as empty as the pool though) which had me wondering, “ba geza kuphi labantu” (where do all these people shower)?

Ablution facilities were as standard as those found at an after tears and were kept as clean as humanly possible by the lovely cleaning ladies, although some ladies who attended the festival complained about the cleanliness of the toilets and the squats and positions they had to contour their bodies into in order to relieve themselves in the most safest way, there’s only so much you can do to keep a busy festival as clean as a hospital, however there’s lots of room for improvement there. 

There were about 4 food stalls for the entire weekend, which I felt was way too little in terms of variety, I mean you can only eat so many paninis and loaded fries, right? We ended up driving to Ermello to get Breakfast and hot wings at some point just to break away from the monotonous menu.

As a part of the media, I was highly disappointed by the lack of facilities such as a media tent with power at the very least. I found myself running from pillar to post to try and find a socket to plug into so that I could create content.

Thanks to the lady at the VIP camping for doing all that she could to get me set up, however, this needs to improve greatly in order for us to create the most qualitative content to share with our audience. 

The camping sites were very clean and green, they made for the best mornings with a view of the dam and the forest.

Overall experience

Overall I had an amazingly intimate experience; I was slightly nervous and anxious at the beginning so I really had to work hard to shake the Jozi off of me so that I can enjoy the pleasantly wild, welcoming and freeing experience of the Mieliepop music festival 2023. I look forward to seeing more diversified acts, a bigger turnout and more experiences in 2024.

If you’re looking for a unique and unforgettable festival experience, then look no further than Mieliepop, an outdoor rock, reggae and blues music festival. Held annually in Lothair, Mpumalanga, South Africa, this eco-friendly music festival is familiar yet enigmatic featuring caves with fountains, surrounded by rolling hills , rivers, lakes and endless green lawns; perfect for your inner hobbit to feel wildly at home. With its commitment to sustainability and its diverse lineup of talented performers, Mieliepop is a must-attend event for music lovers and eco-conscious festival-goers alike.

Mieliepop is a celebration of life, love, and laughter. From dawn until dusk (and sometimes beyond), festival-goers can participate in a variety of activities that will surely bring a smile to their faces. Here’s a glimpse at what you can expect at Mieliepop:

Music, music, and more music:

With a lineup of talented local and international artists, Mieliepop is a music lover’s paradise. Whether you’re into hip hop, rock, electronic, or folk, you’re sure to find a performance that speaks to your soul.

Yoga and wellness workshops:

Need to recharge your batteries? Take part in a yoga or wellness workshop to stretch your muscles and clear your mind. Just try not to get too zen – you don’t want to miss any of the awesome music and endless banter beyond the hills!

Art installations and interactive experiences:

Mieliepop is a feast for the senses, with art installations and interactive experiences scattered throughout the festival grounds. Whether you’re admiring the latest murals or participating in a group dance performance, you’re sure to be entertained.

Food and drink stalls:

Mieliepop has a delicious selection of food and drinks, ranging from traditional South African cuisine to international favorites. Just be sure to bring your appetite – you’re going to need your energy to keep up with all the dancing!

Camping under the stars:

Nothing beats camping under the stars with your festival gang. Just remember to bring a tent that doesn’t resemble a giant mushroom, or you might find yourself being studied by aliens…or studying Aliens…or whatever comes first – just get the ticket already.

Tickets for Adults will cost you R 895,00 and R300 for kids under 12 (Kids under 6 can enter for free). Glamping options are available at the Maizey Stray Tent Hotel and start at R3500.

Get the tickets here, the festival runs from 2-4 March 2023!

Urban Village is a South African band that pays homage to the plethora of cultures, customs, and languages that have shaped Johannesburg. The history of the joy and pain of the culmination of the city of gold; Upon the back of black South Africans is melodically displayed in the modern and ever-changing essence of the city, through the band’s interpretations and stories.

If you have travelled through Johannesburg and its neighbouring townships then you will really understand the melting point of their sound, it’s nothing short of historic, modern and magical. The tales in their music are nostalgic of those told by parents who had to leave their homelands in the villages to face and live with urban realities in the city, Egoli.

Having grazed global stages with their unique blend of folk, Zulu rock, Xhosa funk, mbaqanga & maskandi, the band that comprises of four friends aim to tell their story visually through a documentary directed by Vlad Cagnolari.

The Urban Village Documentary will be screened live and followed up with discussions on the key themes of the film, an enchanting live performance and a vinyl DJ set.

To experience this wholesome offering, check out the details below:

Venue: Wolf and Co Cafe, Tsakane (Eastrand)

Date: Friday, 28 May

Time: 19:00

Tickets: R100 at Quicket and R150 at the gate.

For a taste of what to expect, stream their latest album Udondolo

See you there!

Can do In the city 2018 hosted by Soulection had one of the most interesting blend of alternative musicians performing on one stage.The concert featured artists like 6lack, MuraMasa, Aminé, Majid Jordan,Sango and plenty more including a handful of Soulection djs.

This concert was quite an ambitious effort and honestly I spent weeks mulling over how they will “fill up Ellis Park”…wait, can I legally say that? Or how they would manage so many international artists with so many different requirements.

So I quit thinking, got myself together, caught an edge up on the way and I kept it moving. See I had underestimated the scenes that I would see, I had been in my own space and focusing on the hood for so long that anxiety struck me like a Jamaican bolt of lightning with a kung fu chop and  as soon as I drove near Ellis park; I had a parking attendant running aside my car, asking to jump in so that he could take me to the best parking spot,(Really dude, a stranger, in jozi, jumping into my whip…anyways) my palms sweaty, my exterior cool and my paranoia on a 100, I decided not to trust the homie and and in true Jozi fashion…act like I know as I timidly muttered “ke sharpo bra yaka, ska wara”.

The streets were filled with a teenage spirit..I mean the streets were a spawn of a polygamous marriage beween Varcity/college students and Matriculants on their last weekend of the holidays, along with a side dish of some of us who are gently letting go of our relevance to the yout’.

E-cigarettes in the air, an occasional whiff of some good grade green sliding into our nostrils (no complaints here) and crispy golden brown Budweiser flooding over the cups…This was the perfect breeding ground for “worst behaviour” and soon this would become evident.

Aminé

I was bummed to have missed Sango  but from the murmurs in the crowd, it didn’t seem that I missed much and although Goldlink was unable to make the gig, Aminé widely known for his billboard 100 hit Caroline, pulled through with a genuine energy and wasted no time in catalyzing the repressed rage and fire from the restless crowd. One moment I was introducing my fine self to an excited Portland local and before I know it, Aminé had commanded the crowd hanging from the outside circumference of a rather empty golden circle to jump over and get closer….all hell broke loose as the barricades that seperated the haves and the have nots crashed to the ground and everyone leaped over and stampeded into the golden circle like 100s of fleeing buffalos.

The scenes weren’t as romantic as I write, many did get injured and I saw disturbing scenes of young girls being flung onto and over the rails…it was madness but there was a unified sense of love in the circle as he carried on performing as if it was just another day!

He really had fun with the crowd and brought the generations of followers together by spitting a sing along TLC – No Scrub Verse which continued into another popular and classic Kanye west verse.

Some crowd favourites that he performed were:

Red Mercedes

Caroline

Spice Girls

Campfire ft. Injury Reserve

Majid Jordan

This set really started with some real heat in the form of Jordan Ullman, the one half of the duo with an incredible ear for music and production skills that have really built his portfolio over the years with producer credits from songs such as Dj Khaled ft. Drake – Free and  Drake-Feel No Ways to name drop a couple 🙂 however his entrance onto the stage was nowhere near the chart topping hip-pop and R&B music that he is most known for. His sound was far from popular music but more of a borderline melancholic future bass with sprinkles of uplifting chords to lighten up the mood as he built up the vibe for his longtime partner Majid Al Maskati to come on stage.

A New York Times profile once called them “Drake’s secret weapon” and after I watched them perform and how the crowd…especially the lovers , reacted to the music, singing word for word and dancing in one of those “take it from behind, I don’t want to miss a second of Majid Jordan” type of slow dances, I shared the same sentiments, these dudes are legit secret weapons of R&B and where it’s going.

The visuals on stage were very sexual and kinda overemphasized the apparent theme of their music and although they have super quality jams, I felt a bit drained after their long performance of electro-R&B, because let’s face it, I am single, been standing for hours on tar road and could do with a brewsky…So in short; the beginning was a bang, the middle was a streeeeeetch and the end was really emotional, in the sense that the Majid expressed how Jordan saved his life with music. Music saves lives kids!

The two met at a bar in college and made music for only 18 months before they created a number 1 hit for Drake, titled “Hold on”. The duo is now signed to OVO Sound. They definitely made some new fans in South Africa. Here are some of the buttery songs that they performed:

Her

Small Talk

Gave Your Love Away

6lack

I have been following 6lack since listening to his somewhat gloomy  Free 6lack  album in 2017 and I was always intrigued by his slow and effortless style of contemporary R&B, bedded on bass beats and synthesized keys; needless to say his song writing skills encompassed different stages of “fuck boyish” modern day love and its problems. This album affirmed his arrival and built him a cult following. He has been touring the world and America for a while and was now about  to grace us with his first ever performance on South African soil…or tar in this regard – so naturally I had high expectations for the Grammy nominated and ever so busy artist.

As usual it took a long time to get his stage set up and his DJ tried to keep the crowd hyped up with upbeat tracks and a near patronizing “African” song. The crowd grew restless and the lines for the bar increased by the second…by this time the teenage spirit had evaporated into fumes of vomit, cheap vodka, anxiety and excitement.

Soon enough the the stage lights exploded to the rhythm of the bass line and a miniature figure emerged from the smoke…it was 6lack; His mic was not working but he kept on performing to a confused crowd who just did not know why their favourite artists was inaudible…eventually he received another mic and he literally rapped his hit songs and had an underwhelming stage presence..with a very little singing.

The crowd went wild from what I assume was from the sight of their favourite musician rather than the performance itself. As a fan I found myself taking walks and thinking about the bar than actually listening further. What was mad surprising though was when he pulled Nasty C on stage  and Nasty performed Jungle with the energy of a young buck with big bucks. Nasty C was able to lift up the crowd’s energy for the second half of the performance. All in all I was pretty disappointed by 6lack’s approach to this performance.

Some of the songs performed were:

PRBLMS

Free

Pretty Little Fears feat. J.cole

Never Know

Ex Calling, etc.

Mura Masa

This has to have been my favourite  performance, The 22 year old Mura Masa who is known by his die hard followers for his Lotus Eater  song, was the closing act of the concert and a much needed boost of energy for a crowd that was exhausted from dancing and walking around since the early afternoon. There was a great deal of  excitement and wonder as the multi-instrumentalist’s stage was set up, the dispersed crowd slowly huddled back into formation as soon as the visuals started playing.

His visuals carried the same identity as that of his self titled album and kept the audience glued to the stage with every song displaying its own and unique visuals…from a branding perspective, I’d have to say it was pretty cool bringing the album to life, if you know what I mean.

He came onto the stage with Bonzai who injected the crowd with life as she started rapping and singing on Nuggets , the crowd lit up like distant rockets and sang along religiously! Muramasa was also joined by his long time live tour collaborator Fliss who performed a variety of songs with him and honestly, her vocal dexterity and range coupled with her energy and dance moves felt like we were experiencing  the reincarnation of Lebo Mathosa. Some of the songs you missed out on are:

Love$ick

1 night

What If I go?

Can Do – In The City 2018 was an ambitious attempt to bring in some of the leading young alternative and electronic musicians of our time and our future and I would love to see them do it again!

Photograohy by Xara Fourie

Words by: Lethabo Ngakane

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Mura Masa, @inthecityjhb , Ellis Park Stadium, 07.10.2018

A post shared by Xara Fourie (@fauxtographerwithanf) on Oct 15, 2018 at 12:01pm PDT