MAG Urban African Accessories are hitting the market for the first time this summer 2016/2017.  They are a fresh and unique African product offering.

Hailing from a small town of Estcourt (eMtshezi) in KwaZulu-Natal, MAG Urban African Accessories Designer, Andile Mdakane, has been drawn to ancient African Symbols since reading Credo Mutwa’s ‘Indaba My Children’ in 2003.

11 years later, whilst on a sabbatical in a quiet tree house in Wilderness Western Cape, the idea of bringing the African symbols to life struck Andile. She developed that idea and it evolved to manifest in a form of Urban African Accessories and the brand ‘MAG’ was born.

It would take a year of product development, with the help of the CCDI (Cape Craft and Design Institute) for the first of the Adinkra Symbols to be successfully interpreted into accessories.

The first of these accessories are earrings. They have been developed using the combination of modern technology (laser-cutting) and by hand, using African fabrics, and in some instances wood, to make a unique product offering.

MAG earrings are striking, and can either be minimalistic or bold, but always give a sense of centeredness. MAG embraces both high quality and imperfection.

Although MAG is only entering the market this season, word got out, and it has already grabbed the attention of South Africa’s media and fashion personalities. In February this year Andile and MAG Urban African Accessories collaborated with South Africa’s top fashion designer Craig Jacobs for the Fundudzi Warrior range at SA Menswear Fashion Week.  Actresses and TV Personalities Bonnie Mbuli and Florence Masebe, Supermodel Kaone Kario and musician M.X.O. are some of the public personalities that can be spotted wearing MAG.

The values of people are reflective of the symbiotic and symbolic relationship between them and their environment; and symbols speak to that. Symbols have an effect on self-esteem. And the proper symbols properly arrange have a positive effect on the psyche of humans. It is of paramount importance for a people to be engaged by positive images of themselves and their ideologies, and this is beautifully implemented by MAG through their immaculate crafted pieces of African symbols (as accessories).

MAG’s work rides on the wave of African cultural being. The cultures crest gives the proper impression of MAG’s height. The message is transmuted as a wonderfully carved image. It is of the stars and Africa and the world is the stage.