Young people in South Africa are doing amazing things in the creative industry, whether it is in the form of world-class photography, music, events and everything in between – it’s clear that we have the talent. The LiveSA team has put together a list of five young people that we think you definitely need to know.
Themba Mbuyisa
Being featured between the pages of Vogue Magazine is the dream of many writers and photographers all over the world. But for 22-year-old Themba Mbuyisa this is something he has already done after having his work featured in Italian Vogue before going on to do a residency in Brazil, winning third place nationally in the Sony World Photography Awards and being featured in ELLE Magazine and ARD German TV’s documentary on South African photographers. Basically, Themba has already achieved what most people who have been at this for decades are yet to achieve. He describes photography as his 1st life and his 2nd nature. He’s currently enrolled at Market Photo Workshop and is interning with photographer and commercials director, Steve Tanchal. His future plans are to establish a yet unnamed collective of young creatives. We hope this talented photographer will keep soaring to new heights. Check out his blog here and follow his Instagram @themba_mbuyisa.
Tumi Tladi
You may have seen Tumi Tladi break a few moves on the hit TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” but it’s his other talent, as a musician, that caught our attention at LiveMag. Tumi started making his mark in the music industry in 2014 and has not stopped making banging singles since. His new singles “Punchline” and “You ain’t Sh**” have been keeping heads bobbing. He is also among the crop of local rappers, like Cassper Nyovest and AKA, using social media to keep their fans in the loop about their career moves.
Dennis Lefa Halo
The most exciting thing about the South African hip-hop scene is that it is constantly changing and thanks to the Internet, the availability of recording programs and social media it is now easier than ever to access the latest music from anywhere. Which is how we found Ennerdale-based rapper, Dennis Lefa Halo, a young man who is busy building a name for himself. He started out in 2011 being introduced to Battlekat, a member of Hip-hop group, Optical Illusion. After listening to Lefa’s freestyle, Battlekat decided to put him on the remix of Optical Illusion’s song “Watch What You Say”, which featured Reason, X-rated, Mothipa and LandmarQ. And the rest, as they say, is history. @LefaHalo
Kgomotso Seabe
At only 23, this young woman proves that you can do just about anything if you put your mind to it. Not only does she have the titles of senior sub-editor, artist manager and brand manager under her belt, she is also the brains behind Sneakers Only. Sneakers only is a brand experience collective – bringing together local music with urban culture under one roof for their monthly event at The Waiting Room on Long Street. Always ahead of the curve musically, Sneakers only has become a Cape Town staple with a loyal following, which includes well-known creatives, producers and DJ’s like Max Mogale, Maramza, Ill Skillz’s Uno July and the Groove Afrika duo. Having launched a successful first edition of Sneaker’s Only JHB recently, she aims to grow the brand beyond Cape Town and the eventing space and create a music consultancy that grows the industry. Stay in the loop with Sneakers Only on their Facebook page and @SneakersOnlyCT.
Young Creative South Africa video from 10 and 5
For our fifth creative, we thought to look no further than one of the most exciting websites in South Africa – for those interested in the creative side of things – 10 and 5. They put together this amazing series on Young Creative South Africa and the video, which features some more exciting creatives in SA, is as informative as it is exciting to look at.
List compiled by @ThatGirlFati, @Morwesi_Ndlovu and Lesley Tshamano
Do you feel we have left some people out? Send us your top five suggestions to @LiveMagSA
