Jonathan Beggs, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, South Africa

Mami Wata – South African surf label
“Mami Wata is an African Surf brand that is disrupting the surf apparel category. Like a lot of South African creativity, it is a hybrid that is peculiar to our pick ’n mix culture. It is inspired by surf and adventure and packaged with the bold quirks of African design. “What I love about Mami Wata is how it offers a distinctly African counter-narrative to the Californian version of surf culture. Aside from stunning garments, it has created a mystique through beautifully crafted pieces of design and communication. “Highlights include a ubiquitous banana, incredible (and awarded) brand films, collaborations with Vans and Moncler, the Neo-Animism fragrance, as well as Afrosurf, a weighty book that tells the story of African surf, a story that is being adapted for a global documentary series.”