Elvira Dyangani Ose has been appointed the new Artistic Director of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town. She will resume on October 1, 2026 after a 15-month search for a successor.

Dyangani Ose is an astute curator and an experienced museum director. This appointment comes a year before the museum celebrates its 10th anniversary. 

She was a director of the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona for five years. She left the role after accepting the position of art director of the second Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial. 

Photo: Instagram/@zeitzmocaa

She has occupied senior positions at The Showroom in London, Creative Time in New York and Tate Modern in London. At Tate, she worked with the institution’s African Acquisitions Committee. Her work examined areas that have been ignored in many art institutions. 

Dyangani Ose was born in 1974 to a family with roots in Equatorial Guinea. She attended the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Cornell University.

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The former director, Kouoh, spent six years at the museum and  improved the institute’s curatorial goals. She presented in major exhibitions such as When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting. Her death was felt at the institution. kuooh chose Dyangani Ose to serve on the Biennale’s international jury 

As Artistic Director, Dyangani Ose will oversee Zeitz MOCAA’s art direction, including exhibitions, research, and collections. David Green, co-founder and co-chair of Zeitz MOCAA, said: 

“Dyangani Ose’s appointment reflects who we are as an institution—one rooted in Africa, while connected to the world. “

Photo: Instagram/@edyanganiose

Dyangani Ose said she was thrilled to join the museum and described the opportunity as a privilege. She said:

“It is a privilege to join Zeitz MOCAA.  I am thrilled to come on board at this moment to continue its journey as a leading African institution with global reach. I look forward to working alongside the museum’s remarkable team, artists, supporters, and the local and global communities.. “ 

The museum was founded to preserve, research and exhibit contemporary art from Africa. Since then, it has become a cultural landmark in the country. 

Dyangani Ose is now charged with guiding the museum to a greater height. Her international experience in African art makes her appointment a significant development for the wider African contemporary art scene.

For Bonolo Mashilo, fashion began at home in Ntwane Lesehleng in Limpopo. Her grandmother dressed her in elaborate outfits and introduced her to an interest in clothing and personal style that would eventually become a career.

Mashilo studied fashion design at Tshwane University of Technology before gaining experience across different areas of the industry. She started out as a fashion assistant at Elle Magazine SA and later worked as fashion director at IMBO Magazine. S he then moved into retail, where she worked as a fashion buyer for Edcon.

Photo: Instagram/@Bonolo Mashilo

That experience gave her an understanding of both the creative and commercial sides of fashion. She eventually used that knowledge to establish BMashilo Designs, building the company from a small operation into an established South African fashion business.

The early stages were modest. Mashilo worked from her garage and employed two people as she developed the business. She has spoken about the importance of her corporate experience in preparing her for the responsibilities that came with becoming an employer and running her own company.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented another challenge. With events cancelled and customers requesting refunds, maintaining her studio became financially difficult. Mashilo returned home and moved the business online, allowing BMashilo Designs to continue operating while the fashion and events industries were disrupted.

Photo: Instagram/@Bonolo Mashilo

Today, the company offers ready-to-wear, bespoke and rental fashion. Its collections include dresses, sets, corsets and bridal pieces, while its bespoke service allows clients to commission individual designs.

Mashilo’s work has also reached some of South Africa’s best-known public figures. Her designs have been worn by Thuso Mbedu, Makhadzi and Basetsana Kumalo, among others. Mbedu wore the brand’s Enhle dress at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood event, bringing further attention to the label.

For Mashilo, however, building the business has also meant creating opportunities for other women in fashion. In an interview with Kaya 959, she spoke about entering an industry where she did not often see people who looked like her running successful fashion businesses. That experience influenced her approach to employing and supporting young Black women entering the industry.

Photo: Instagram/@Bonolo Mashilo

The BMashilo Designs Institute is part of that work. The company says the institute is focused on developing fashion talent, while its current founder profile states that the business employs nearly 30 people.

Representation has also featured in Mashilo’s collections. A Village Dream, Representation and Pelo Ya Phiri: Living the Legacy explore themes connected to identity, heritage and inclusion. The Representation collection, in particular, was created around inclusivity and the idea that women should be able to see themselves reflected in fashion.

Her career has therefore developed beyond designing individual garments. Her experience spans fashion media, buying, design, retail and entrepreneurship, giving her an understanding of the industry from several sides.

Photo: Instagram/@Bonolo Mashilo

As BMashilo Designs reaches its 10-year milestone in 2026, Mashilo’s career offers a useful example of what it takes to build a fashion business beyond the creative process. She has developed a label, created employment and established a platform for developing new talent while continuing to produce clothing for private clients and public figures.

For Women’s Month, her story is a reminder that success in fashion can extend beyond what appears on the runway or in a photograph. It can also be measured by the businesses built, the jobs created and the opportunities made available to the next generation.

For years, South African actors have built successful careers locally before moving into international productions. Few have made that transition as quickly as Thuso Mbedu, whose performances have taken her from local television dramas to leading roles in acclaimed Hollywood productions.

As Women’s Month recognises the achievements of women across different industries, Mbedu’s journey stands out as one of South Africa’s most notable success stories in film. Her international profile has been built on carefully chosen roles that have earned critical recognition.

Photo: Instagram/@Thuso Mbedu

Born in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, Mbedu entered the industry through South African television, gradually establishing herself as one of the country’s brightest young actors. Her breakthrough came with Is’Thunzi, where her performance earned an International Emmy Award nomination. She received a second consecutive nomination the following year for another season, becoming one of the few African actors to achieve that distinction so early in their careers.

The nominations also increased her international profile, introducing her to casting directors looking for actors capable of leading demanding productions.

Photo: Instagram/@Thuso Mbedu

That opportunity arrived when Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins cast her as Cora in The Underground Railroad, the television adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

Playing a young enslaved woman escaping brutality across the American South required remarkable emotional depth. Many critics praised Mbedu’s restrained performance, describing it as one of the series’ strongest. The role also made history, as she became the first South African actress to lead an American television series of that scale.

Photo: Instagram/@Thuso Mbedu

Success in Hollywood often comes with pressure to prove that a breakthrough performance was not a one-off. Mbedu answered those expectations with The Woman King.

Sharing the screen with Viola Davis, she portrayed Nawi, a determined young recruit in the Agojie, the elite all-female warrior unit of the Kingdom of Dahomey. The role demanded months of combat training, weapons practice and physical conditioning before filming began.

She delivered a performance that attracted widespread critical praise alongside an experienced cast. Reviews consistently highlighted her chemistry with Davis, whose mentor and student relationship became one of the film’s central storylines.

Photo: Instagram/@Thuso Mbedu

Beyond critical acclaim, the film also demonstrated that stories centred on African women could reach global audiences while succeeding commercially.

Despite her growing profile, Mbedu has remained selective about the projects she accepts. In interviews, she has repeatedly said that meaningful storytelling matters more than simply appearing in high-profile productions. She has spoken openly about wanting roles that create conversation, encourage empathy and leave audiences thinking long after the credits roll.

Photo: Instagram/@Thuso Mbedu

She has also been candid about the challenges behind her success. Raised by her grandmother after losing both parents at a young age, Mbedu has shared how financial hardship, self-doubt and personal loss shaped her outlook. Instead of portraying her success as straightforward, she often highlights persistence, preparation and continuous learning as the foundations of her progress.

Her influence now extends beyond acting. Mbedu has expressed a desire to help create more opportunities for African storytellers and to support projects led by African voices with first-hand perspectives. That ambition reflects a wider shift across global entertainment, where African creatives are increasingly shaping their own stories instead of having them told by others.

Photo: Instagram/@Thuso Mbedu

Women’s Month is a fitting time to recognise achievements that continue to reshape the film industry. Thuso Mbedu’s career reflects that progress. She has earned international recognition without losing sight of the values that shaped her career. Her success also reflects the growing influence of South African performers on the world stage.

Mbedu is now recognised as one of South Africa’s most internationally recognised actors, with a career that continues to expand across borders. Her achievements also provide an example for young actors hoping to build successful international careers while remaining connected to their South African roots.