Sunflower stem, banana fibre, woven waste, upcycled plastic, scobi… While there will be one winner, we received multiple fascinating concepts for the inaugural Textile Innovation Student Challenge.
Emerging designers, innovators and researchers across the continent submitted responses to this question:
What does an African textile future look like when it restores ecosystems, centres local knowledge and materials, and reimagines production?
Supported by the V&A Watershed, this initiative is an extension of Africa Textile Talks, an annual gathering (founded by Twyg and Imiloa Collective) bringing together designers, farmers, manufacturers, researchers, retailers and innovators shaping the future of African textiles and fashion.
As opposed to perpetuating conventional fashion practices, co-founder of Africa Textile Talks Jackie May says, “The challenge is really about expanding how we think about textiles. We are interested in material exploration, deep research, indigenous knowledge and new possibilities emerging from African resources and ways of making. The work does not need to look like traditional cloth or fashion fabric. We want to see experimentation, curiosity and critical thinking.”
After receiving dozens of entries from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Uganda we invited 14 finalists to submit prototypes (30 x 30 centremetre) samples which you can see on exhibit at the V&A Watershed until 18 August):
Liance van Zyl
Textile composition: Karoo merino wool, wild rosemary and Karoo Bush (natural dye)
About
Liancé grew up on a merino sheep farm outside De Aar in the Karoo where wool is part of everyday life. Her proposed future textile explores how one of Africa’s most valuable natural fibres (wool) can be reimagined for the future of fashion. Merino wool is naturally temperature regulating, odour resistant and capable of absorbing up to 35% of its own weight in moisture without feeling wet, making it one of nature’s most effective performance fibres. The future may not lie in inventing new materials, but in rediscovering and reimagining existing and extraordinary fibres. Liancé is a student at the Institute of Marketing Management Graduate School.
Process
Raw merino wool was sourced in the Karoo, South Africa. The fleece was scoured to remove impurities and prepared for dyeing. Natural pigments were extracted from Indigenous Karoo plants and applied to the wool using natural mordanting techniques. The dyed fibre was spun into yarn and woven into a 30 cm × 30 cm textile sample that demonstrates the natural performance qualities of merino wool, including breathability, moisture management and temperature regulation. Every stage of the textile’s journey can be traced back to a specific farm, landscape and production process, creating a fully traceable material story from farm to fabric.
Zukiswa Mtshali
Textile composition: Mohair, cotton, and hessian
About
Zukiswa is a Fashion Design student at the Design Academy of Fashion in Cape Town. She imagines a future where African luxury is defined by indigenous materials, local craftsmanship, and cultural storytelling. This project proposes a future where heritage is not preserved behind glass, but transformed into living textiles that honour the past while shaping the future. The textile engages with regenerative materials, bio-materials, sustainability, textile memory, and African textile futures through its use of renewable natural fibres and biodegradable materials.
Process
Using wet felting, Zukiswa transformed loose wool and mohair fibres into a sculptural textile that captures the softness, strength, and protective nature associated with femininity. This textile embraces circular thinking by utilising materials already held in storage, reducing waste while giving new purpose to existing resources.
Christine Rossouw
Textile composition: Sunflower stem
About
Christine is a Chemistry student at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein. Her innovation addresses the challenge of underutilised agricultural biomass by investigating whether post-harvest sunflower stems (abundant across the Free State province’s landscape) can contribute to future textile material systems. Rather than viewing these residues as waste, Christine explored the stem as an integrated material system by separating and transforming its two primary components: the fibrous outer stem and spongy core tissue (pith).
Process
The sunflower stem was cut open to expose and extract the pith. Half of this tissue was dried and grinded into a fine powder while the rest was cut into small pieces. After soaking the outer stem in a warm alkaline solution and thoroughly cleansing it with water, the individual fibres were pulled out and placed onto a mesh grid. To create a paste, the powdered pith was mixed with water, combined with the smaller pieces and poured over the fibre network. After evenly distributing the paste, the composite was then left to dry, yielding an experimental non-woven textile.
Ayabukwa Kina Kampila
Textile composition: Yarn and recycled and reclaimed beads.
About
Ayabukwa, a self-taught designer from East London, explores how African textiles can regenerate both communities and the environment by combining indigenous beadwork with sustainable, plant-based materials. She addresses textile waste and the loss of traditional African craft knowledge as fast fashion replaces handmade practices. Sustainability is achieved through low-impact, handcrafted production that reduces pollution and supports local artisans.
Process
This textile combines yarn with handwoven beadwork inspired by African storytelling and cultural identity. The production process applied traditional handweaving, and indigenous beadwork techniques.
Ancke Boshoff
Textile composition: Raw wool, symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, black tea and sugar.
About
Ancke’s textile “Intergrown” investigates how living systems can support future textile practices that shift toward stewardship, cultivation and circularity rather than extraction, intense processing and material permanence. Her project offers an experimental dialogue between fermentation, fibre and bio-fabrication; offering a vision for textiles that are not simply manufactured, but cultivated through living processes. Ancke is a student at the University of the Free State.
Process
This material is developed by biological activity, allowing microorganisms to actively participate in the development of the textile, as opposed to assembling fibres using conventional textile manufacturing procedures. It investigates the potential of bio fabrication by cultivating bacterial cellulose through kombucha fermentation and embedding wool fibres within the developing cellulose matrix.
Nokuphila Mthembu
Textile Composition: Banana pseudostem fibre, pineapple leaf fibre, collagen-rich by-products and plant-based tannins
About
Nokuphila is a Fashion Retail student at FEDISA in Cape Town. Her textile responds to two interconnected challenges: the growing volume of agricultural and industrial waste generated across Southern Africa, and the need for more sustainable, locally rooted material systems within the textile industry. Rather than viewing waste as a problem, she explores how agricultural waste, collagen-rich by-products, and indigenous knowledge can converge to create a regenerative African textile. Drawing on indigenous tanning knowledge, Nokuphila positions traditional craftsmanship as an active contributor to contemporary material innovation.
Process
This textile is a combination of banana pseudostem fibres and pineapple leaf fibres with collagen recovered from meat-industry by-products. The fibres were extracted, cleaned, and layered before being combined with the collagen matrix to form a unified textile sheet. Plant-based tannins derived from acacia bark, along with natural oils and botanical pigments, were incorporated during finishing to enhance preservation, texture, and colour. The resulting material does not imitate conventional leather, but explores a new African biomaterial that expresses the visible texture and character of its natural fibres.
Mbalenhle Cobotwana
Textile Composition: Beach lily spider leaves
About
Mbalenhle is a Fashion Design student at the Design Academy of Fashion in Cape Town. Her textile responds to fashion’s environmental crises (pollution, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and carbon emissions) by turning to indigenous knowledge. The beach spider lily, found in her backyard and across the Western Cape, offers a durable, regenerative fibre. Beyond its textile potential, its root system stabilises soil, prevents erosion, and supports biodiversity. This offers a textile that actively restores ecosystems rather than depleting them.
Process
After harvesting the beach spider lily, the fibres were extracted and prepared for weaving. The textile was then constructed by utilizing a Swati hand weaving technique; a craft that honours indigenous material knowledge while adapting it for contemporary textile application. The final fabric is entirely plant-derived, biodegradable, and circular by design. By employing a locally abundant, regenerative plant that requires no synthetic inputs, Mbalenhle demonstrates how textile production can prioritize cultivation, healing and African craftsmanship.
Rito Malungani
Textile Composition: Banana pseudostems, tree bark and leaves
About
Rito is pursuing a degree in Fashion Design at STADIO Centurion. Her textile responds to the environmental impact of conventional textile production (e.g. excessive water use & chemical processing), along with the growing volume of agricultural waste discarded after harvesting. The Makuleke banana farm in Limpopo opened her eyes to the true value of agriculture: providing sustenance for communities. She used their waste and pseudostems to create a regenerative textile that integrates African knowledge with contemporary biomaterial innovation.
Process
Banana pseudostems were harvested and the fibres were extracted with a sharp knife. Once separated, they were combed through with a hackle and after drying. Natural dyes derived from locally available plants such as moringa and marula tree leaves, bark, and turmeric were applied to add colours that reflect African landscapes. The resulting textile is entirely biodegradable, allowing nutrients to return safely to the soil.
Elizabeth Cillié
Textile Composition: Chip wrappers and plastic bags
About
Elizabeth is a Fashion Design student at the Design Academy of Fashion in Cape Town. Inspired by her high school design teacher who demonstrated how ironing plastic bags creates a durable new material, Elizabeth expanded her innovation to include chip wrappers after discovering that their silver surfaces create a striking holographic effect. Her textile confronts excessive plastic production by exploring how discarded plastics can be transformed into functional fabrics. Contrary to allowing 400 million tons of annual plastic waste to deteriorate over centuries, this textile reduces waste while creating new possibilities for sustainable fashion.
Process
Elizabeth cut plastic bags and chip wrappers into small pieces and ironed them together to fuse into a durable textile. The chip wrappers melted quicker than plastic bags and with extended heat, they developed a holographic finish on the silver side. This technique required no chemicals or water, only heat, making it accessible and low-impact. Elizabeth has used this textile to create clothing and accessories which demonstrates its potential for job creation and waste reduction.
Claudia Kolarski [disqualified / older than 25]
Textile Composition: Recycled cotton, faux leather and wool cut-offs
About
Claudia is a Fashion Design student at the Design Academy of Fashion in Cape Town. Her textile draws inspiration from Sakiori, a 250 to 300-year-old Japanese weaving technique that transforms strips of outworn clothing into new fabric. Today, Sakiori endures as an artisan craft and a model of circularity. Claudia’s project reimagines this tradition for an African context, inviting us to reconsider how fabric waste such as, cut-offs, faulty garments, and outworn clothes, can be creatively reintegrated into the fashion value chain.
Process
Cotton-mix cut-offs were separated into long strips along with old faux leather strings and wool yarn. These fabrics were then weaved together on a medium-sized wooden handloom, creating a structured textile with varied pattern and colour combinations. The final textile could serve as material for sweatshirts or jackets. This technique only requires fabric waste,a loom and patience. It offers an accessible, low-cost model for sustainable fashion that reduces waste, supports small-scale production, and demonstrates that fabric waste is a local resource found everywhere.
Tadiwanashe Aaron Chikomwe
Textile composition: Scrap fabric, polyester found in landfills and agricultural waste
About
Tadiwanashe is a Fashion Design student at the Design Academy of Fashion in Cape Town. This textile draws inspiration from Sakmanne (also known as the Sackcloth People), a minority community who reject fast fashion and extraction-based consumerism in favour of a grounded relationship with the earth. After sitting with an elderly practitioner who shared both his wisdom and a coffee sack (a deeply significant gesture), Tadiwanashe began experimenting with the material, honouring the knowledge passed down to them. This project, Grounded, explores how African textiles can regenerate communities and the environment through sustainable, plant-based materials.
Process
The coffee sack was separated into warp and weft, jute and plastic material. The jute was then dyed using agricultural waste: avocado pips, onion peels, and impepho (a traditional herb which produced a yellow pigment). The dyed jute was then woven on a loom into a new textile. This textile honours a community often overlooked, preserves indigenous knowledge, and demonstrates how discarded resources can be reimagined into regenerative fabrics.
Kelechi Memeh
Textile Composition: Natural liquid latex, hibiscus and waste fabric
About
Kelechi’s innovation addresses Africa’s value gap, the missing midstream infrastructure for spinning, weaving, and dyeing that forces apparel manufacturers to depend on imported textiles from China and India. This solution, Latex-tile, is a sustainable, biodegradable textile derived from natural liquid latex. Sourced from rubber trees without harm or expanding opportunities for deforestation, latex offers a lightweight sheer fabric with stretch similar to spandex. While bridging the gap between raw materials and finished fabric, this textile reduces reliance on imports and creates value for locally sourced rubber.
Process
Kelechi developed natural liquid latex solutions into a lightweight textile. The latex was sourced in their city (Lagos, Nigeria) and cast into thin sheets, producing a sheer fabric with a finish similar to chiffon and elasticity comparable to spandex. They also experimented with embedding traditional Ankara fabric into the latex and incorporating hibiscus-based natural dyes to expand the material’s colour and cultural versatility. The result is a sustainable alternative to animal leather and synthetic stretch materials. Latex-tile creates value for West and Central Africa’s rapidly growing rubber industry while reducing dependency on imported textiles.
Panashe Mafoti
Textile Composition: Paper bags, plastic bags, discarded old clothes, VHS tapes, old washing machine spinner, car brakes, artificial grass, milk carton bottles and an old lamp
About
Panashe is pursuing an Honours degree in Security and War Studies at the University of Zimbabwe. As a multidisciplinary artist working with experimental textiles and sculptural fashion, their practice reimagines discarded materials as valuable resources which reframe resourcefulness and repair as futuristic and necessary. This innovation aims to explore how African textile futures can emerge from local waste systems, indigenous practices, and community-centered approaches to sustainability.
Process
This textile began with a collection of discarded objects: VHS tapes, CDs, cans, paper bags, plastic bags, newspapers, glass bottles, textile scraps, and reclaimed garments. Through hand-based techniques such as weaving, binding, and distressing, a wearable textile was created. By manipulating plastic, metal, paper, and magnetic tape to behave like woven or layered cloth, Panashe is challenging conventional definitions of textile. This textile extends material lifecycles and reduces dependence on virgin resources which in turn, highlights discarded materials as archives of memory, identity, and history.
Mahlobisa Shiburi
Textile Composition: Upcycled satin, chiffon, tulle and beads
About
Mahlobisa Shiburi is a fashion design graduate from the Villioti Fashion Institute. As a Tsonga individual living in Johannesburg, her work confronts the xenophobia, afrophobia, and tribal discrimination that fractures communities across South Africa. Following first-hand experiences of alienation due to her features, cultural identity as well as witnessing violence directed at Africans and minority tribes, she has alchemized her pain into creative activism.
Process
Mahlobisa’s textile marries fabric as a tool for unity and a medium for storytelling, healing, and reclaiming dignity. She employed blue and yellow satin as a base for the tulle she manipulated into layers. To enrich the textile with her heritage, Tsonga flower-printed chiffon and hand-applied beadwork grounds her innovation. This bold palette aims to invoke hope, resilience, and joy, while layered fabrics symbolise the complexity of identity and community.
- Visit the Textile Innovation Student Challenge at the V&A Watershed before 18 August 20
- Feature image: Sunflower stem fibre by Christine-Rossouw
