Temansele Palesa Mkoko put Eswatini’s modelling talent at the front of the Fancy Africa runway in Mozambique when she opened the showcase for Xigubo, the Afro-tailored luxury fashion label founded by Mozambican designer King Levi.
Mkoko, a model, social entrepreneur and mental health advocate, was among the Eswatini creatives who travelled to Maputo for Fancy Africa 2026, where fashion, culture, business and the creative economy came together for the event’s 10th anniversary.
Opening the Xigubo showcase gave Mkoko a prominent role in a programme that brought together designers, models and other creative professionals from across the continent.
For the Eswatini model, the appearance also builds on an established relationship with the Standard Bank Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival, where she is a regular model on the festival’s fashion platform.
Mkoko was part of the group of Eswatini models representing the country at Fancy Africa alongside Alexandra Bouwer, Belinda Belcher, Liyandza Mavimbela and Seluleko Mngomezulu. The delegation also included Luju Project Manager Penny Bouwer, Luju Festival Programme Curator Philippa Thorne, fashion stylist Nhlanhla Lukhele and fashion consultant Noentla Khumalo. Eswatini streetwear label Black Degree also showcased on the Fancy Africa runway.
The trip followed a growing relationship between Luju and Fancy Africa. King Levi, the founder of Xigubo and Fancy Africa Fashion Week, has previously showcased at Luju, with his participation extending across three consecutive editions.
That connection has created a route for Eswatini talent to move beyond the Luju stage and into other regional fashion spaces.
Luju’s fashion programme has increasingly positioned itself as more than a festival runway. The platform works with designers and fashion creatives through initiatives aimed at mentorship, technical development, exposure and connections to wider markets. Its 2026 edition featured designers from several African countries, including King Levi, whose Xigubo collection was among the regional fashion showcases.
Fancy Africa provided another setting for that exchange. The 2026 edition ran from September 28 to October 3 in Maputo, with the programme including the Fancy Africa Summit, workshops and masterclasses, cultural activities, fashion showcases, pop-up stores and the Fancy Africa Awards and Gala.
For Mkoko, being selected to open the Xigubo showcase placed her in a role that went beyond simply appearing in the line-up. The opening model is the first face the audience encounters as a collection begins, making her presence an important part of how the showcase is introduced.
Her work across modelling, social entrepreneurship and mental health advocacy also gives her career a broader dimension outside the runway. Her participation in platforms such as Luju and now Fancy Africa reflects the increasing number of spaces available to Eswatini models as regional creative relationships develop.
The wider Eswatini delegation was similarly focused on creating opportunities beyond a single fashion event. According to Luju representatives, the Fancy Africa experience gave local models and designers opportunities for exposure, professional networking, collaboration and knowledge-sharing, while allowing them to build portfolios and make connections that could lead to new markets.
For Philippa Thorne, Luju’s Festival Programme Curator, the regional exchange is part of a longer-term effort to build a sustainable creative industry in Eswatini by giving creatives access to networks, knowledge, resources and opportunities outside the country.
The Fancy Africa appearance therefore forms part of a bigger movement around Eswatini fashion, where models and designers are increasingly being positioned within regional platforms rather than being limited to local showcases.
Mkoko’s opening of the Xigubo showcase is one example of that progression. Her appearance connected an Eswatini model with a Mozambican luxury label on a pan-African fashion platform, while continuing the relationship between Luju and Fancy Africa.
For a model who has already become a familiar face on the Luju runway, Maputo offered another stage and this time, Mkoko was the one opening it.
