Fashioning Modern Africanism

While some women have broken boundaries within the DJing landscape of South Africa, it’s no secret that there is an unignorable wide gender gap that exists within this sphere of the music industry, and it is not because of any lack of talent. In male-dominated industries, such as this one, the barriers to entry for women are deeply entrenched, making it much harder for females to break through. There are a number of factors that attribute to these barriers, such as, biasness due to false gender perceptions, lack of access, and so on. South Africa’s number 1 vodka brand, Smirnoff 1818, has decided to launch a new initiative called Shaya Ingoma. The Shaya Ingoma platform calls on all up-and-coming female DJs nationwide to enter the first for the brand female DJ search. Through Shaya Ingoma, Smirnoff 1818 aims to narrow the gender gap and shine a light on some talented upcoming female DJs. This empowerment platform will be focused on unearthing, promoting and offering multiple opportuniti

South African born Afrobeats DJ, Spokenpriestess, has partnered up with one of South Africa's leading fashion and retail brands, Foschini, for an exclusive T-shirt collaboration coming from the release of her first music video for " Rotation Shemix ". The T-shirt is a limited edition release illustrated by the talented Zee Feels in celebration of the Pan-African song as well as the women who came together for this single. The bigger goal, however, is to sell the T-shirt with the aim to empower other women who are not where they would like to be in life.    The mission, according to Spokenpriestess is to “sell out within 8 weeks of release and donate 100% of the profits of sales (R50  per T-shirt) to the Frida Hartley Shelter for Destitute Women and Children based in Yeoville, Johannesburg”. This gesture is her way to support and give back to the shelter for the inspiring work they do to protect women in need and help them get back on track with their lives after facing ch