Thabo Makhetha-Kwinana
Thabo Makhetha-Kwinana (born 21 September 1987 in Lesotho) is a fashion designer who blends African and Western styles, with a strong focus on Basotho culture and the traditional Basotho blanket. She moved to South Africa at age three and now lives in Cape Town, after living in several other cities. She studied fashion at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth and earned a National Diploma in Fashion. In 2009, at 21, she started her own label, inspired by her grandmother who was a seamstress; her mother helped her buy her first sewing machine.
Her designs feature vibrant African prints and Basotho influences. She made her runway debut in 2014 at Vancouver Fashion Week with the Kobo ea Bohali “Blanket of Prestige” collection and won the 2014 Impact Award. Since then she has shown at South Africa Fashion Week and exhibited internationally in Lesotho, the United Kingdom, Milan, Johannesburg, and the United States. Elle magazine nominated her starburst coat for Most Beautiful Object in South Africa.
Makhetha-Kwinana has been honored as a top young achiever by the Nelson Mandela Chambers (Top 40 Under 40) in 2014 and was listed in the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans in 2017. In 2020 she was featured on Beyoncé’s Black Parade platform to showcase Africa’s top designers, and she has been featured in Vogue, Elle, and Marie Claire.
Her work includes notable collaborations: in October 2023 she teamed up with CTM Tiles for a limited-edition collection, and in 2024 she partnered with Veldskoen Shoes at South African Fashion Week to celebrate South African heritage.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:08 (CET).