South African Fashion Week (SAFW) Announces the New Talent Search Semi-Finalists for #AW27

On Tuesday, September 1, 2026, South African Fashion Week (SAFW) Announced the New Talent Search Semi-Finalists for #AW27. These are the next generation of design talent stepping into the light and shaping the future of womenswear.
Meet the designers who will be showcasing their creativity at AW27.

 

Khangwelo Nemukongwe

Khangwelo Nemukongwe, drawing inspiration from her Venda heritage, integrates traditional influences with refined sartorial tailoring to make her designs. The collection explores the interplay of loose, sculptural layering and classic tailored elements, resulting in looks that are subtly wearable yet distinctly avant-garde.

 

Kwanga Qusheka

Kwanga Qusheka, graduate of Design Academy of Fashion in Woodstock, Cape Town, is determined to help change the fashion industry. For his brand, KQ_Made, he produces avant-garde, edgy streetwear. His work is not determined by trends but quality as he ensures that his selection of fabric best suits the quality he is trying to achieve as a designer.

Kwanga’s preferred fabric is hemp which is a regenerative and earth-friendly natural fibre and has a touch-friendliness on human skin.

 

Lindokuhle Hopewell Mbambo

Lindokuhle Hopewell Mbambo, founder of Blackfaces Apparel, is a Machinist Garment Constructor and creative fashion brand designer that designs Modern fashion, Classic patterns, Urban street wear into a collaboration of African Street culture.
Blackfaces Apparel (My Culture, My Identity) is an African culture of fashion movement from the community to the industry. The fashion brand statement is able to express into different dynamics of Fashion culture and style. From African to urban fashion wear.

 

Martin John Steenkamp

Martin John Steenkamp is the founder of Martin John Bespoke Ready-to-Wear Collection—a considered expression of modern African luxury, where timeless tailoring meets effortless sophistication. A leader in bespoke fashion and wedding styling, celebrated for innovation and creativity in design, all his pieces are noted for their impeccable craftsmanship, sensual textures and intricate artistry

 

Michael Peter Reid

Michael Peter Reid, Creative Director of David Tlale, is a detail-oriented designer, with a degree in fashion design fromVillioti Fashion Institute. His creative approach to fashion design is unique and is sometimes carefully curated for specific events and campaigns. Some of his work features 3D printed buttons, pieces of material from previously discarded garments.
Micahel Peter Reid’s work represents the boldness that his generation has embraced and the multidimensional layers which collide to form the individual.

Mikhail Brown

Mikhail Brown is a fashion designer and co-founder of Ntwana. The aim of the brand is to create beautifully made high-quality garments that people want to wear for a long time. Clothes that endure and remain worth caring for. To design clothes that last, clothes that people value enough to care for, and that take time to make because of the quality of the materials and labour involved. The reality is that this level of craftsmanship doesn’t lend itself to mass production

 

Sihle Khumalo

Sihle Khumalo, alumnus of Cape Town College of Fashion Design, is the founder and Creative Director of Sihle Zanele Studio; a ready to wear brand that focuses on the details. Crafting pieces from scratch with raw talent, dedication and unique creative vision. The pieces are centered around culture, heritage and blend of colours.

 

Themba Shezi

Themba Shezi is a Fashion Designer, Garment Technologist, Pattern Technologist, Fashion Illustrator, Fashion Entrepreneur. Founder of Heru Shezi—a brand that focuses on womenswear, menswear & non-binary tailored ready to wear clothing, Themba Shezi thinks perfection is ugly and this is heavily depicted in his imperfectly beautiful fashion statement pieces.

 

Zane Samuels

Zané Samuels is a fashion designer, stylist and entrepreneur. As the founder of Zour; Zané uses fashion to tell stories by playing with bold colours and bold out-of-the-box styling to showcase her pieces.

The New Talent Search Semi-Finalists for #AW27 are coming to SAFW with bold and unique styles, designs and artistry worth celebrating.