Mamphello Landela and Thapelo Sefako posed for GroundUp flashing their swag. Photo Masixole Fani.
25 September 2014
Many youngsters in the township are taking Swag style to a new level. GroundUp spoke to several young people in the township about the meaning of Swag and how they relate to it.
Anele Sontwana, a clothing designer from Gugulethu, owns a clothing business called Gugulethu Vibe. He said that having swag in the township means one has to have a unique style and it has to be up to date with the latest fashion trends.
“Many customers come to me because they want to design a certain style of dress. They want to be unique at the same time, to look beautiful and fashionable,” says Sontwana.
Sontwana said, for a young person, how one dresses and the labels one wears signals that one can afford a certain lifestyle.
Babalwa Sonke from Khayelitsha has a similar view on swag. She said that having swag means you have to live an expensive life.
Zandiba Mokeli, Lunga Zinele and Famile Zimele like their swag. Photo by Masixole Feni.
“Swag means you have to drive the latest car, wear the most expensive clothing label, and also drink expensive alcohol. You can never have swag and be unemployed and drink cheap alcohol. You have to at least afford a R600 bottle of whisky and be able to wear at least a thousand rand Carvella shoe,” said Sonke.
Those seen as clued up on the swag trend are people who identify as izikhothana (people who wear flashy clothes).
A learner known as Sisco in Khayelitsha claims that he is a skothana because of the expensive clothes he wears. He says he will do anything to be known as the person who has swag amongst his peers.
“My brother is unemployed, but he is the most stylish person in the township. He has his own ways of getting money and he always wears the most expensive clothing and goes to expensive places and drives the latest cars. He is my role model, because no matter what he does, he is known as the person who has swag in my community and young people just want to be like him,” said the learner.
Nokwanda Sobuko, a social worker in Gugulethu, said that people have adopted the swag style differently.
Samaz Maneli and Bonnie Maneli believe you have to wear label clothing. Photo by Masixole Feni.
“I know so many people that would rather do crime related activities just to have money to buy the most expensive item so that they can show of amongst their peers.
“The swag trend doesn’t not have an age limit. Young and old people compete differently to please other people,” said Sobuko.
Sobuko said many young people think part of having swag is to do crime, have expensive gadgets and not be arrested.
Neliswa Damarha from Nyanga, who is 19 years old, said that she will never date a man who doesn’t have swag. To her, swag means money, and she does not care how the man got the money. The only thing she cares about its whether or not the man can afford an expensive, flashy lifestyle.
“I dress to kill. So the person I date should also do the same. I want a man who is wanted because of how he dresses himself, the car he drives, and what he drinks. For me that is cool and he has to have a style. I do not care where he gets his money, but he just has to be able to afford it,” said Damarha.