“The ceremonial beaded adornments an Ndebele woman wears indicate her social status within the community, such as being married or adult and ready for marriage. But they also represent her independence, her resourcefulness and the fact that she earns her own money!” comments Msoziswa Sophie Mahlangu (69), an iconic custodian of Ndebele heritage and contemporary arts entrepreneur. Significantly for the Making It! conference, Sophie Mahlangu currently excels at developing products for a contemporary urban design market, whilst managing to remain true to the essential Ndebele aesthetic. Working from her rural home at Ga Morwe village near Siyabuswa, in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, she is a local icon as custodian of the Nzunza Ndebele heritage. But she also works as an individual arts entrepreneur and founder of the arts production co-op Nomhlekhabo Craft Africa. For many years now she has worked from a workshop at her home, selling beadwork and painting for local ceremonial use and for the visiting tourist trade, also participating through the Nkangala Department of Culture, Sports and Recreation (DSAC) in national events such as the Durban Tourism Indaba. She is an accomplished mural painter in the classical Ndebele style, for example at the KwaMhlanga Police Station, at Kagiso Waterpark and most recently at the University of Mpumalanga in Siyabuswa. Her talent, influence and community impact has been rewarded with public recognition: In May 2024 South African president Cyril Ramaphosa awarded her with the Order of Ikhamanga (Silver). In 2020 she was awarded the national Innibos Award for Beadwork – she had beaded a BMX bicycle entirely in fine Ndebele designs. This bicycle has since been acquired by the USA Colorado State University’s Gregory Allicar Museum collection. In 2025 Sophie Mahlangu collaborated with two urban based South African sculptors: with Sculptor Gordon Fround and his cone star sculptural series and also with Vuyjo Oyiya on her Crown Chakra project at the V&A Waterfront precinct, Cape Town. This year she will be attending the 2026 International Folk Art Market (IFAM) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 2012 Sophie collaborated with curator of Kghodwana Cultural Village and Museum, Khobongo Petrus Mahlangu and Helene Smuts (Founding CEO of Africa meets Africa NPC) to create 22 beaded awards for that year’s award winners celebrated by BASA (Business Arts South Africa), an agency of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, in recognition of collaboration between corporate funders and arts organisations. Sophie based her designs on the traditional itelefoni, a dancing staff used by mothers when they celebrate the return of their sons from ukuwela (initiation rites). As educator Sophie has excelled in teaching Ndebele arts skils for the South African educational non profit organization Africa meets Africa Projects (www.africameetsafrica.co.za), which researches, documents and applies inherited arts skills to integrate indigenous knowledge with formal classroom learning in a range of subjects. Sophie has collaborated with Tessa Gramigna Mantle to create the VIVA AFRIKA range of beaded products, aimed at a tourist market. She has developed two blanket deigns for Aranda blankets Pty Ltd. She has attended various SARCDA exhibitions shows in Johannesburg. With five fellow artists she travelled to Spain as part of an initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry together with the Spanish department store El Corte Inglés, presenting a two week showcase of South African culture. She is also a performing artist: Over the years Sophie has performed in KwaNdebele at local ceremonial occasions. She sings and dances traditional songs at major celebrations and cultural festivals with her performing group uNosinki Nabomma Bemvelo and has founded the NPO Nosinki Nabomma Bemvelo. She has released three albums to date: Ihlonipho, in 2010, Ma-Africa in 2013 and Kuhle Kuyakarisa in 2014 Now 69 years of age, Sophie Mahlangu has lived as a highly visible custodian of heritage in the Nzunza Ndebele community and in rising to the broader economic challenges of contemporary life. She has matured into a master beadwork maker and painter, along with being an independent arts entrepreneur and educator. She is one of very few remaining iconic Ndebele artists, looked up to in her community and innovating beyond.