South African fashion designer Mzukisi Mbane of Imprint has criticised the treatment of creatives by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, questioning why award-winning artists are expected to cover their own costs to attend events meant to celebrate their work.
Mbane, the founder and creative director of Imprint South Africa, took to social media to express his frustration after being invited to this year’s National Arts and Culture Awards (NACA) at Sun City.
“There’s no disrespect quite like how SA treats its creatives,” Mbane said.
The designer claimed that, despite being a previous NACA winner, he was expected to pay for his own travel and accommodation to attend the 2026 ceremony.
“As a previous NACA winner, I’ve been invited to this year’s awards in Sun City, but [the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and Minister Gayton McKenzie] expect me to cover my own travel AND accommodation?” he wrote.
His comments come after what has been a major international period for the designer, including recent recognition in Paris.
‘I was treated with more respect in Paris’
Mbane contrasted his experience with the reception he received during his recent trip to Paris, where he was recognised through the Africa Fashion Up initiative.
“A month ago, I was in Paris receiving an award and was treated with more respect and care than I receive from my own Department,” he said.
In July, Mbane was named a recipient of the Africa Fashion Up 2026 award, a Paris-based initiative supported by luxury fashion house Balenciaga. The programme brought African designers to Paris for professional development, masterclasses and exposure to the international fashion industry.
Reflecting on the international recognition, Mbane previously said: “Honestly, it feels like I’m living in some movie.”
He added that the recognition meant that “a house like Balenciaga sees me, they see what I can become, and they are willing to invest their resources to help me get there”.
The Paris experience has therefore become an important point of comparison for Mbane as he questions the support available to creatives at home.
‘I now have TWO Arts & Culture awards’
Mbane also raised concerns about what he believes is a broader problem with how recognition translates into meaningful support for artists.
“And mind you, I now have two Arts & Culture awards that came with absolutely nothing,” he said.
His NACA achievement is not in dispute. At the 2025 National Arts and Culture Awards, Mbane won the Outstanding Fashion/Textile Designer award. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture lists him as the winner in the Design category.
The 2025 award followed a competitive category in which Mbane was nominated alongside Mpumelelo Dhlamini and designer Thabo Makhetha-Kwinana.
Mbane’s latest comments suggest that, for him, the issue is no longer simply about receiving an award but about whether those awards translate into practical support for the people whose work is being celebrated.
“It’s all just for show,” he said.
“Our livelihoods are a joke to them.”
A decade of building Imprint
Mbane has spent more than a decade developing his fashion career and building Imprint South Africa into a recognised African fashion brand.
The brand was founded by Mbane and is rooted in African heritage, contemporary storytelling and what it describes as a modern interpretation of African identity. Imprint says its work combines bold prints, storytelling and social commentary.
Mbane is also known for his Afro-futurist approach to fashion. His work has explored African history, identity and culture through distinctive prints and silhouettes.
A former Design Indaba Emerging Creative, Mbane has also built a profile beyond South Africa. His work has been worn by personalities including Nomzamo Mbatha, DJ Zinhle, Pearl Thusi, Billy Porter and Jidenna, while his designs have received international fashion media exposure.
The designer has previously spoken about the journey of building Imprint over a decade, describing the international recognition as an indication that new opportunities were opening up for the brand.
From local recognition to global recognition
Mbane’s latest international achievement has added another significant milestone to a career that has increasingly crossed borders.
The Africa Fashion Up programme saw participating designers engage with Balenciaga teams, buyers and fashion education institutions in Paris. The initiative is designed to provide African designers with exposure and professional development, rather than simply offering a one-off award.
For Mbane, the contrast between that experience and his frustrations at home has sharpened a longstanding conversation around the treatment of South Africa’s creative sector.
The 2026 NACA ceremony was held at Sun City on Friday, August 21, under the theme “Celebrating Our Nation’s Creative Excellence”. The awards recognise achievement across areas including heritage, visual arts and crafts, design and creative services, performing arts, audio-visual and interactive media, and literature.
Mbane’s comments have consequently raised a bigger question beyond his own travel arrangements: whether recognition of South African creatives should be accompanied by tangible investment in their careers, businesses and livelihoods.
For a designer who has recently received international recognition in Paris and has already been honoured nationally, his message is clear – an award alone is not enough if the creative behind it is still expected to carry the financial burden of being celebrated.
