TO THE HUM OF HER SEWING MACHINE AND THE DANCING OF BEADED BANGLES, PUMLA NGWANE EXPLAINS THAT THE DYED INDIGO FABRIC OF SHWESHWE IS A WORLDWIDE THING. “I’M NOT SURE WHERE IT CAME FROM, BUT WE HAVE ADOPTED IT AS OUR OWN. WE CAN’T HOLD ONTO AN AFRICAN THING, WE NEED TO TAKE AFRICA TO THE WORLD AND SHOW THEM WHAT WE CAN DO USING ISISHWESHWE. WE CAN’T GO WITH EUROPE AND LEAVE AFRICA BEHIND,” SAYS PUMLA. “INSTEAD WE SHOULD FUSE IT TOGETHER. I CALL THIS MY POETRY IN MOTION. I CANNOT WRITE STORIES BUT THIS, THIS IS MY STORY.”

Photography: My Own & Supplied.