On 28 September 2026, the opening day of Paris Fashion Week, MaXhosa Africa crossed a line no South African label had crossed before: a runway show on the official calendar. The brand had already appeared on the schedule for five consecutive seasons, but in presentation format.
The Spring-Summer 2027 show took place at the residence of South Africa's ambassador to France. Models walked a catwalk of woven straw mats, and musician Sjava performed live.
Across 54 looks, founder and creative director Laduma Ngxokolo pushed his signature knitwear, built on geometric patterns that echo Xhosa beadwork, towards silk, chiffon, organza, organdy and cotton. The collection also marked the label's first footwear showcase. Knitted labels bearing the names of African countries carried a pan-African message, and some models wore eyewear made from waste by Kenyan artist Cyrus Kabiru.
Production remains close to home. The brand runs two knitting factories, in Johannesburg and East London, and sources its wool in the Eastern Cape. Ngxokolo says most of what it sells is made in-house.
The show marked sixteen years of work for the label, in a Paris season where other South African names also stood out, including Drew Henry, who presented his debut collection for Courrèges at the Palais de Tokyo.
