Kuhle Phumzile Zondo Weaves African Storytelling Into Sustainable Brand E_mania

Kuhle Phumzile Zondo weaves African storytelling into her sustainable fashion brand, E_mania. Image credit: Woolworths Youth Makers 2026

Zondo preserves and communicates African culture and heritage in contemporary ways through graphics, symbolism, and garment construction.

Woolworths has taken notice of this blend of tradition and trends in sustainable fashion.

In June, Zondo was named one of the winners of its 2026 Youth Makers competition.

The competition aims to support small-business growth, and winners are selected based on innovation, viability, and sustainability.

The competition forms part of Woolworths’ Inclusive Justice Initiative (IJI), a corporate social responsibility programme designed to address systemic inequalities and promote sustainable, inclusive growth across South Africa.

Fresh off showcasing her latest collection, Wear Your Markings, at Woolworths in Durban, Zondo spoke to Bizcommunity about the Youth Makers journey, sustainable fashion in Africa, and what’s next for her small business.

Congratulations on being one of the Youth Makers Competition 2026 winners. How does it feel to have your work recognised on this national platform?

Being recognised as one of the winners of the Woolworths Youth Makers Competition 2026 marks one of the biggest highlights of my career.

To be recognised among so many incredible young women-led businesses in South Africa feels surreal.

This recognition not only speaks to our creative capability but also validates the quality and intentionality behind every product we create.

This is an affirming moment for us.

E_mania was built with the intention of proving that fashion can be culturally meaningful while holding longevity through quality craftsmanship.

To have that vision recognised by a brand with the reputation of Woolworths Holdings Limited reminds us that businesses like ours are actively shaping the future of the industry, and it motivates us to continue building with intention.

What excites you about being a business owner in South Africa?

South Africa is a place filled with creativity and resilience.

The history of our country shows that even through hardship, creativity continues to thrive through media, art, and fashion.

What excites me most is the opportunity to use my education, experience, and creativity as a tool to help conserve culture and heritage, while contributing to the economy, creating opportunities that feed families, and playing a role in reviving the textile industry.

As entrepreneurs, we have the power to redefine what African businesses look like on a global scale, and I believe that is incredibly powerful.

E_mania’s designs are inspired by an African proverb that means "Everything comes from nature, so even the most beautiful flower withers with time". Why do you think Africa is leading the global fashion industry in sustainable practices?

I believe Africa has understood sustainability long before it became a global trend.

Historically, many African communities practised circular systems naturally through the use of materials such as animal by-products, grass, and clay, all while respecting the resources provided by nature.

I grew up being told the importance of preservation and how the cow used for a ceremony had several uses and was shared among the community to ensure there was no wastage of food.

At E_mania, our philosophy comes from the understanding that everything has an origin, and preserving that origin is essential.

I believe Africa is leading because sustainability is not something entirely new to us; in many ways, it has always been embedded in how we live and create.

We have simply learned how to better document these practices so that future generations can understand them, engage with them, and refer to them within an increasingly digital world.

How do you incorporate traditional African practices into your designs?

E_mania’s latest collection, Wear Your Markings, currently showcased through Woolworths Holdings Limited, reimagines the traditional Zulu Love Letter as a wearable brooch for the modern corporate woman. Image credit: Woolworths Youth Makers 2026

At E_mania, storytelling is one of our most important design tools.

We use graphics, symbolism, and garment construction to preserve and communicate African culture and heritage in contemporary ways.

We draw inspiration from indigenous knowledge systems, cultural narratives, and traditional philosophies, then reinterpret them into modern wearable pieces.

We have also incorporated techniques such as beadwork, which can be seen in our latest collection, Wear Your Markings, currently showcased through Woolworths Holdings Limited.

Within this collection, we reimagined the traditional Zulu Love Letter and adapted it into a wearable brooch for the modern corporate woman.

The concept draws inspiration from contemporary fashion trends while intentionally preserving the cultural meaning and symbolism behind the original tradition.

The graphics are an illustration by my sister Namhle Zandile Zondo, who sought to show the various African markings found on Africans as a form of beauty, power and honour.

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What do you think is the future of sustainable fashion in South Africa and the rest of Africa?

I believe the future of sustainable fashion in Africa will be driven by local manufacturing, conscious consumer behaviour, and brands becoming more transparent about how products are made.

Africa has the opportunity to build its fashion industry differently by prioritising ethical production and circular design from the very beginning, rather than correcting harmful systems later.

Government initiatives such as Proudly South African also play an important role in encouraging both businesses and consumers to support locally made products and strengthening our manufacturing economy.

I believe we will see far more African brands proving that sustainability and commercial success can exist together.

Storytelling has always been part of Africa’s identity, and as a brand, we focus on conserving not only culture and heritage but also making intentional decisions around production quantity, the stories we choose to tell, and the composition of the fabrics we use.

Why should more fashion retailers like Woolworths embrace sustainable fashion design?

Large retailers influence both consumer behaviour and industry standards.

When companies like Woolworths Holdings Limited support sustainable designers, they help make responsible production more accessible (outside their own supplier chain) while encouraging innovation within the local fashion industry.

It also creates opportunities for smaller businesses to scale, which strengthens local manufacturing ecosystems and helps build a more responsible industry overall.

When major retailers make sustainability a standard rather than an option, consumer expectations begin to shift alongside them.

The reality is that the power of influence sits with large businesses, and by leading these conversations, they play a critical role in changing how people consume and what they begin to value in the products they purchase.

Looking back, what’s been your greatest lesson from the journey with Woolworths and the Youth Makers programme?

The biggest lesson for me has been understanding the importance of structure and learning to think beyond creativity alone.

Throughout the programme, we had two mentors: a retail mentor and a business mentor and through both sessions, I was able to identify gaps within our SOPs and the way we approach building a profitable business model.

As designers, we often focus heavily on product development, but programmes like the Woolworths Youth Makers Competition 2026 taught us how important strategy, scalability, systems, and long-term business thinking truly are.

It reinforced the idea that building a sustainable business requires both creative excellence and strong operational foundations.

What I found quite ironic was realising that although our business is built around the principles of sustainability and longevity, our day-to-day operations were not always reflecting those same values in our finances.

That was an important moment of reflection and one that will shape how we build moving forward.

Looking to the future now. What’s next for E_mania, and where do you see your business in the next five years?

The next step for E_mania is expanding our position as a sustainable African fashion brand while strengthening local production through our growing CMT studio.

Over the next five years, I see E_mania becoming globally recognised not only for ethical manufacturing, but also for building systems that support and benefit young businesses within South Africa’s fashion industry.

When I started E_mania, I struggled, and in many ways still do, with effectively scaling and properly equipping the business.

I often found myself wishing there were spaces where emerging designers could rent equipment, access cutting tables, or outsource CMT services without the pressure of unrealistic minimum order quantities.

It is unfortunate to see many startup businesses importing basic products such as T-shirts from overseas, only to sell them at high prices to cover overhead costs, often pricing themselves out of the market.

I believe this happens because there are still significant gaps within our local manufacturing ecosystem.

The knowledge and skills gained through working with a large retailer like Woolworths Holdings Limited have reinforced my belief that access is one of the biggest barriers for emerging designers.

This is exactly why we are building our CMT studio to be open to other designers while creating educational workshops that help close these gaps, strengthen local production, and contribute to rebuilding South Africa’s textile industry.