Fashion career profile
Laduma Ngxokolo
Laduma Ngxokolo is a South African designer and founder of MaXhosa Africa, known for translating Xhosa textile and beadwork references into contemporary knitwear and a broader luxury lifestyle practice. His mother taught him to knit, and his university research developed into a collection designed for Xhosa initiates, using traditional colours and motifs in modern garments. He earned a BTech in Textile Design and Technology at Nelson Mandela University in 2010, graduating cum laude, and later completed an MA in Material Futures at Central Saint Martins. Ngxokolo won the international Society of Dyers and Colourists design competition in 2010 and received the Marie Claire Prix d’Excellence Best Emerging Designer award in 2011. Sources describe MaXhosa’s early dates differently: some date the label’s launch to 2010, while university records describe business-registration and startup support in 2011. Its 2024 Paris Fashion Week debut marked a significant international expansion, after years of local production and a Johannesburg knitwear factory. His work has also appeared in museum exhibitions, including MoMA and the Smithsonian, according to Business of Fashion.
- Role
- Founder & Designer, MaXhosa Africa
- Nationality
- South African
- Age
- 40
- MaXhosa Africa — Founder and Creative Director2011–End not documented · status not documented
- MaXhosa Africa joins the official Paris Fashion Week scheduleFashionNetwork · 2026-09-25
- Education: BTech Textile Design and Technology; MA Material FuturesNelson Mandela University records the BTech with cum laude distinction; the exhibition catalogue records the Central Saint Martins MA. · Nelson Mandela University
- Design beginnings: Xhosa-inspired knitwear developed from university researchThe design brief responded to the need for Xhosa initiates to access knitwear reflecting their culture. · Nelson Mandela University
- International award: Society of Dyers and Colourists global design winner, 2010The government yearbook describes his competition win and first prize in London. · Government Communication and Information System
- Marie Claire award: Best Emerging Designer, 2011Nelson Mandela University alumni records document the award. · Nelson Mandela University
- Manufacturing: Johannesburg knitwear factory established in 2018A 2024 interview describes the in-house factory and its role in controlling production. · Le Monde
- International runway: Paris Fashion Week debut, 2024Business of Fashion describes the Paris debut as a new chapter for the label. · Business of Fashion
- 2010 — Wins international Society of Dyers and Colourists competitionThe Xhosa-inspired knitwear project wins first prize in London.
- 2011 — Receives Marie Claire Best Emerging Designer awardNelson Mandela University alumni records this award and early brand development.
- 2018 — Establishes Johannesburg knitwear factoryLe Monde reports that the in-house factory gives the label greater production control.
- 2024 — Debuts at Paris Fashion WeekThe show marks the label's entry on the Paris runway.