South Africa’s Trendsetting Pantheon of Style

Inside the women redefining what it means to be a Fashion Icon

There was a time when being a fashion icon simply meant wearing beautiful clothes. That era is gone. Today’s icons are architects of their own mythology — building worlds with fabric, silhouette, and self-belief.

As the 1st Annual South Africa Fashion Awards 2024 approaches, seven women stand at the forefront of this evolution, each nominated for the coveted Best Fashion Icon category. They are boundary-breakers, image-makers and cultural storytellers — proof that South African fashion isn’t just participating in the global conversation, it’s leading it.

Kim Jayde — The Cultural Alchemist

Kim Jayde is more than a style star; she’s a cultural force. Moving effortlessly between television screens, sneaker culture, and front-row fashion weeks, Jayde has become the curator of a new South African aesthetic — part street, part luxury, all fearless. Her looks are layered with storytelling: sharp tailoring softened by bold sneakers, masculine-feminine tension styled into harmony.

She doesn’t just wear clothes; she reframes them, turning garments into statements of power and play.

To vote, register on our very own social voting platform at www.telephonos.com

Bonang Matheba — The Eternal Sovereign

Bonang Matheba’s reign has never been about simply being seen. It has been about domination — of the red carpet, of the cultural zeitgeist, of the very idea of glamour. Known as “Queen B,” she has spent over a decade making every entrance a masterclass in spectacle: sweeping couture gowns, diamonds that catch the light just so, and a signature air of regal detachment.

Bonang embodies what fashion becomes when it’s no longer just clothing — but ceremony.

To vote, register on our very own social voting platform at www.telephonos.com

Blue Mbombo — The Chameleon Muse

There is an art to surprise, and Blue Mbombo has mastered it. One moment she’s draped in minimalist monochrome, the next she’s a riot of colour and texture, an editorial vision sprung from a mood board no one else saw coming. In an industry obsessed with predictability, Mbombo thrives on reinvention.

Her style isn’t just worn — it’s performed, a living installation of imagination and audacity.

To vote, register on our very own social voting platform at www.telephonos.com

Sarah Langa — The Architect of Aspirations

Sarah Langa’s aesthetic is sculpted from restraint. Every look is calculated yet effortless — neutral palettes, clean tailoring, sharp silhouettes softened by fluid fabrics. But beneath that serenity is ambition: a digital tastemaker who has turned luxury into language, translating global trends through a distinctly South African lens.

Langa represents a new kind of influence: elegant, exacting, quietly unstoppable.

To vote, register on our very own social voting platform at www.telephonos.com

Rich Mnisi — The Visionary Disruptor

Though the only designer in the category, Rich Mnisi’s personal style alone could win him the crown. Fluid, sculptural, and defiantly genreless, his looks challenge not just gender but gravity. He walks like a manifesto — sequins as armour, structure as rebellion, softness as strength.

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Mnisi proves that true icons don’t follow fashion. They become it.

To vote, register on our very own social voting platform at www.telephonos.com

Pamela Mtanga — The Glamour Provocateur

Pamela Mtanga does not arrive quietly. Whether shimmering in crystal-studded couture or wrapped in technicolour silks, her red carpet presence borders on cinematic. She doesn’t just wear fashion — she orchestrates it, transforming herself into a visual crescendo at every appearance.

Her power lies in unapologetic visibility: a woman who takes up space, and makes it sparkle.

To vote, register on our very own social voting platform at www.telephonos.com

Dineo Moeketsi — The Polished Rebel

Dineo Moeketsi balances elegance and edge like few can. An actress, producer and co-founder of Port of LNG, she inhabits fashion from the inside out — wearing it, shaping it, narrating it. One moment she’s a study in precision tailoring, the next she’s all dramatic volume and avant-garde accents.

Moeketsi’s style whispers of discipline, then roars with creativity.

To vote, register on our very own social voting platform at www.telephonos.com