Meet Zamaswazi Nkosi, the Soweto designer whose striking Orlando Pirates inspired outfit recently turned heads at the stadium and earned him top honours in the Betway Premiership S’bonise and Win campaign.
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Zamaswazi Nkosi, a self-taught fashion designer from Zola in Soweto, is steadily carving out a name for himself with a bold design language that blends African tradition with modern couture.
Known for his bespoke creations and architectural silhouettes, Nkosi’s work merges traditional textiles with contemporary style.
His brand, Zamaswazi Inventive Fashion, which he founded in 2013, continues to reinvent garments through his unusual approach that draws on his background in restoration and hands-on craftsmanship.
“My journey started with soccer,” Nkosi said. “Playing soccer was my first love since I was young. My dream was to become a professional soccer star and help change things at home for my family. I never imagined doing anything else.”
That dream shifted after a knee injury ended his football ambitions. While the disappointment was difficult, Nkosi said that the desire to uplift his family never disappeared.
“Still, the dream of being someone who could lift my family never stopped,” he explained. “I was always the hands-on guy at school, drawing and loving art, but fashion was not something I thought about seriously at first.”
His creative spark began to show in unexpected ways. Nkosi recalled how the excitement around the 2010 FIFA World Cup planted the first seeds of his fashion journey.
“Growing up, my style changed during the World Cup fever,” he said. “I started designing little outfits for my baby brothers’ rabbits. I made Bafana Bafana shirts for them and paraded them in their cages so people would compliment my creativity. That was my soccer obsession, sparking fashion.”
Encouragement from those around him slowly pushed him toward fashion, although he initially resisted the idea.
“People told me that I should tap into fashion,” Nkosi said. “I shrugged it off because I still hoped that my knee would heal and I could go back to soccer.”
By 2013, at the age of 21, he accepted that professional football was no longer an option and began exploring fashion seriously. With little money and limited resources, Nkosi started creating garments by hand.
“I researched everything and just called myself a designer,” he said. “I even stole my mom’s tablecloth to make a shirt because I could not afford fabric. When people saw it, the compliments came blazing.”
That same year, he officially launched Zamaswazi Inventive Fashion.
“I chose the name because I have always believed that I would invent new ideas,” Nkosi said. “Fashion felt like a calling. I still cannot fully explain how I ended up here, but I love it deeply to this day.”
Recently, Nkosi’s creativity earned him national attention when he won the Betway Premiership S’bonise and Win campaign during the Orlando Pirates versus Richards Bay match on Wednesday at the Orlando Stadium.
The competition regularly crowns the best-dressed fans at matches, with prizes ranging from R10,000 to R50,000. Nkosi walked away with R20,000.
“The outfit was inspired by my love for fashion and Orlando Pirates,” he said. “I had seen previous winners and thought I could do better. I wanted something that could get me recognition in front of millions of soccer fans.”
Nkosi said that he deliberately fused his two passions.
“Fusing fashion and soccer was my dream,” he said. “I tailored something unique and hoped that adidas or Pirates might notice. The day before the match, I even posted that I was going to win. I really manifested it.”
His dramatic look incorporated the iconic Pirates jersey print and bold detailing that reflects his design identity.
“My brand is about African couture and bold prints,” Nkosi said. “So I used the Pirates jersey print to create a masterpiece that represents my team and my style. I also had collaboration dreams in mind.”
The garment was created just hours before the match.
“It took about nine hours to complete, and I made it the night before the game,” he said. “Nothing felt like a challenge because this is in my DNA. When I design, everything just flows.”