Adidas Originals Celebrates Local Creativity with Bongeziwe Mabandla

Bongeziwe Mabandla has joined forces with adidas Originals for the brand’s first-ever South African The Original campaign — a landmark collaboration that honours the artists shaping the country’s creative future.

A celebration of South Africa’s singular ability to produce one-of-one voices, The Original spotlights those operating at the cutting edge of their craft — bold, visionary, and deeply rooted in culture. It’s a campaign about individuality and legacy, powered by a collective belief in creativity as a force for connection and change.

Mabandla appears in a striking portrait series, captured by Room Studio, that reflects both his essence as an artist and the unique space he holds in South Africa’s cultural narrative — one that fuses tradition with emotion, intimacy with innovation.

He features as part of a powerful line-up of creatives including Uncle Waffles, DJ Doowap, Internet Girl, and Shekhinah — each celebrated individually for their role in shaping a new era of originality in South Africa.