In South Africa, Madiba shirts keep Mandela's legacy alive
The Peninsula
Johannesburg: In his workshop stocked with piles of fabric and sewing machines, Sonwabile Ndamase is proud that the Madiba shirts he designed for Nels...
Johannesburg: In his workshop stocked with piles of fabric and sewing machines, Sonwabile Ndamase is proud that the Madiba shirts he designed for Nelson Mandela 30 years ago endure as a legacy of South Africa's first democratically elected leader.
Worn untucked and without a jacket, the loose Madiba shirts remain a favourite among South African politicians, making a statement 10 years after Mandela's death.
Madiba is the clan name by which Mandela is known in South Africa.
Ndamase's clients include South Africa's current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as his predecessors, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. The country's political and business elite -- including ministers, government spokesmen and local politicians -- regularly place orders.
Even former US president Bill Clinton and boxing great Mike Tyson have a Madiba shirt.