Introducing Thato Matabane, the visionary Founder and Creative Director of Afrikanswiss-MuNTU Jeanes. In a world of denim and lifestyle brands, Afrikanswiss stands out as a beacon of heritage and pride. 

Born from a desire to celebrate and narrate Africa's rich history through the art of denim, Thato's journey from Kasi Fashion to M70 Clothing led to the birth of Afrikanswiss.  

Thato draws inspiration from diverse Afrikan cultures, reimagining untold stories and traditions. This creative process doesn't merely design garments; it transforms plain denim into art masterpieces, as MuNTU Jeanes represents the Afrikan spirit and the genes of denim. 

Through the lens of this interview, discover how Afrikanswiss-MuNTU Jeanes fuses culture, history, and contemporary design, crafting a unique identity that celebrates Afrikan pride unapologetically.

We are Afrika's premium denim brand. We celebrate and narrate her heritage, wealth and rich history through the medium of denim. We started as KaFa (Kasi Fashion, then M68 which later became M70 clothing (SOWETO Highway). The idea was to export the township lifestyle onto M70 to the world through Streetwear Art. 

As time went by, AfrikanSwiss came about when my brother Sbonelo Matbenjwa teased some random guy wearing 'isiphandla' (goat skin bracelet), saying it was an AfricanSwiss and not the other jewelry brand. So sitting by myself a few days later I had an epiphany. I thought since I am so passionate about Afrika as a whole, why not rename the brand Afrikanswiss. 

That's us reclaiming what's ours as Afrikans from the West and unapologetically so. This made sense and Afrikanswiss was born. Through a lot of research we delved deeper in the meaning and added MuNTU Jeanes. Mu being the Afrikan spirit and Ntu the Afrikan being (flesh). 

Jeanes is a combination of 'Jeans' and ' Genes'. So we are celebrating and narrating the spirit of an Afrikan Spirit through the medium of denim (Jeans) our Genes and denim ( jeans). We are from the treats of Afrika with pride and have an international appeal. Like denim, our Mu adapts to any environment and culture and condition. We are glorified through our refinement like treated (refined) jeans. 

We are inspired by different Afrikan cultures. We are inspired by the untold stories of the Khoisan, Masai Mara, Dogon etc. We feel we can tell these stories better and uniquely as Afrikans, unlike when it's done by Western clothing brands (LV, Gucci..). 

Incorporating different mediums like prints, paint, and fabrics into your denim apparel to create unique MuNTU fabric sounds fascinating. 

Denim is our primary medium of expression and canvas. So a MuNTU and a creative and colorful being that we are, we use these different methods to illustrate and convey our message. 

We are primarily Afrikan denim artists then designers after. We take plain denim and turn it into an art masterpiece. 

Firstly our name, then how we manipulate denim into Art before we even design our garments. It's quite a lengthy process. We are also expanding into repurposing old furniture with our denim art and will be going fully into interior designing, soft furnishing, Fine art and music. Sustainability is an important aspect of fashion nowadays. 

We do a lot of old denim repurposing. We also use laser printing as one of our denim washing processes. Soon we'll be using plant dyes (indigo etc) to dye our denim yarns. 

Yes we have. It's been an exciting and tough journey. I Thato Matabane, the founder and Creative Director, have been through 4 partnerships where I learned a lot the hard and blissful way. We opened our flagship store in 2014 in the Jhb CBD and were named the first black owned denim  boutique in Africa by a few publications around the continent. We did our first SAFASHIONWEEK in 2015.

Dressed US RnB group 112 in 2015 for their comeback tour. But after 2 years we split and the store closed. One of the partners was Tshepo (Tshepo Jeans). We showcased in 7 seasons of SAFASHIONWEEK thereafter. We also showcased at the Africa Reception in Addis Ababa in 2017. Showcased in Maputo. 

I Thato Matabane was invited as one of the SA reps to the Pakistan Africa trade in Kenya in 2018. I was named as one of the 40 under 40 Destiny Man mag movers and shakers in 2017. 

I met my wife through Afrikanswiss when she worked as a journalist for SABC Morning live and came to interview us at our store in 2014. We were chosen as one of the brands by the Italian Agency to be part of a big trade Show in Milan 2022 (FILO Milano). 

We will have a flagship store in all major Cities of Afrika, Europe and US. All 6 senses will experience our brand. We'll be on major billboards, on radio stations, on TV stations. We'll own beverages and food supplies, and we'll build an Art and Sports school. 

When you sleep you'll see US.  We'll be announcing our immediate big plan soon. 

We want to be in major Afrikan educational archives. We want Afrikan kids to look upon us for hope. They will know that creatives are the epitome of legacy Building. We are going to influence Afrikan leaders into uniting and reclaiming Afrika's pride. It's scary and colossal I know. That's why we are doing it ripple by ripple. 

Be truthful to yourself.  Treat your client, colleagues, associates...as you'd like to treat you. Take every experience (good or bad) and your MBA module. Learn and research more. 

So something towards Building your brand every single day.  Have a team and delegate, while you focus on your strength. Lastly, take time to pray and meditate.

In the realm of fashion, where threads weave tales of identity and expression, Thato Matabane's journey stands as a beacon of creativity and cultural celebration. 

Afrikanswiss-MuNTU Jeanes isn't just a brand; it's a movement, an ode to Afrikan heritage, and an artistic portrayal of the stories that have often been overlooked. 

Through denim, Thato and his team transform history, spirit, and genes into wearable masterpieces, proving that fashion can be a powerful medium for storytelling.