There’s something happening in South Africa right now that I don’t think people outside the country fully see yet.
A generation of creatives are reshaping what social spaces look and feel like. Pop-up galleries in Woodstock. Concept stores in Braamfontein. Underground club nights in places you’d never find unless someone took you. Studio residencies where people share tools and ideas freely.
It’s not just about aesthetics — it’s about ownership. These spaces are built by community, for community. They don’t wait for institutional approval or international validation. They just exist because people decided to make them exist.
I’ve been part of this in different ways — through my art, through AnthroWorks research, through just showing up and being in the room. When work is led by instinct instead of trend, by community instead of commerce, that’s when real culture gets made. We’re not borrowing anyone else’s playbook. We’re writing our own.