Mbombela — Designer Isabel Twana Gama has turned one of South Africa’s most symbolic fabrics — the mgacambongolo blanket — into a powerful statement of identity and resilience.
Gama’s hands have turned the blanket into stylish ponchos, coats and dresses. She makes these through her brand called MGB.1724. The name MGB.1724 resembles a prisoner number but carries something deeply personal: 17 is her daughter’s birth date and 24 her own. “It looks like a prisoner number,” she explains, “but it represents love and legacy. What once meant imprisonment now stands for freedom.”
Her first design, a poncho, was made during her off days while working at Casambo Lodge in 2018. She still crochets the neckline by hand before collaborating with local seamstresses who bring each piece to life.
In 2019, DJ Sbu visited the lodge where she worked and became one of her early supporters. Two years later, in 2021, Gama collaborated with him on the WAYA WAYA Collection, a line of branded blankets linked to his entrepreneurial “hustler” brand philosophy. “That collaboration told people we are still here, still creating, still strong,” she reflects.
Her designs soon caught the eye of Cassper Nyovest, who wore one of her jackets at his Moses Mabhida Stadium performance. “He said he’d seen my jacket online and wanted one for his performance at Moses Mabhida Stadium,” she recalls. “When I saw him wearing it on that stage, I cried. That moment was everything. To think something that began on my sewing table could shine under those lights, it was one of my proudest moments.”
In May 2022, Gama showcased her collection at a fashion show organised by the Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (DCSR) at Emnotweni Arena. “It was beautiful,” she recalls. “We had stalls, exhibitions and designers from different backgrounds. It reminded me that creativity connects us beyond borders.”
From that catwalk, MGB.1724 stood tall, not just as a fashion, but as a cultural bridge between African and Western influences, all while preserving heritage through design.
Her goal now is to expand the brand into a creative training hub, where young people can learn design, sewing and business skills.
“We’ve created many spaces for girls, which is beautiful, but the boy child also needs to be included. I want my workshop to be that space, where creativity meets understanding,” she says.
Her products, starting from R1000, are available through Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok, and are showcased through DCSR exhibitions, with support from the Small Enterprise Development Agency.
Despite her growing popularity, Gama remains rooted in her community. “Without local support, it’s difficult,” she says. “Before our work can go global, it has to be embraced by our own people first. And they have, because they understand this blanket, they relate to it.”
