Gauteng MEC meets MaXhosa designer and AAC to tackle counterfeit fashion crisis

Gauteng finance MEC Lebogang Maile has emphasised the importance of collaborating with local designers and organisations to protect the country's fashion industry.

“The aim is to develop collaborative strategies to combat the scourge of counterfeit fashion products affecting our local fashion industry, with a focus on IP and trademark registrations,” said Maile.

He was speaking after a meeting on Monday with renowned fashion designer and founder of MaXhosa Laduma Ngxokolo as well as representatives from the Alliance Against Counterfeit (AAC) to discuss urgent strategies to address the issue of counterfeit fashion products in South Africa.

The meeting, which included the founder of AAC Rea Khoabane, aimed to strengthen efforts to combat the harmful impact of counterfeit goods on local fashion brands.

“We met with Ngxokolo and other representatives of the AAC, which is focused on the alleviation of counterfeit fashion products, to map out a way for the Gauteng government to help designers and local fashion brands to combat the scourge of counterfeit goods,” said Maile.

The AAC, a critical player in this fight, works to raise awareness about intellectual property rights and provide resources and support to local designers.

Khoabane also advocates for stronger legal protections to safeguard creative work. In a statement, the alliance stressed the crucial role of government involvement in combating counterfeiting.

“As the AAC, we recognise that government involvement is crucial in combating the counterfeiting of South African brands. Counterfeiting not only undermines local businesses but also affects job creation, tax revenues and the integrity of our economy. By partnering with government entities, we can strengthen enforcement measures, raise public awareness and develop policies that protect our brands, ensuring long-term sustainability and growth for South African businesses,” said Khoabane.

The issue of counterfeiting is not new and Ngxokolo has been vocal about the problem. Ngxokolo recently penned an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa expressing his deep concerns over the persistent counterfeit trade.

“Dear Mr President, this is the ‘normal’ state of the country. Counterfeit criminals do their crime openly across multiple industries in SA,” Ngxokolo said on X.

His concerns gained widespread attention after a viral TikTok video featured a presenter from MojaLove confronting a shop assistant at a store on Small Street in Johannesburg for selling counterfeit MaXhosa items.

“Even international brands have given up on the fight. As a country with a shocking percentage of unemployment, this is the last thing the police and SA Revenue Service (Sars) should accept,” said Ngxokolo.

The problem is not confined to Ngxokolo's MaXhosa brand alone. Several other prominent South African designers have joined the AAC to collectively fight this widespread issue.

Among them are founder of The Africa Your Time Is Now™ movement and Papama Mtwisha of children’s clothing line Butter Pudding launched in 2016. Other members include:

• Sandisiwe Mazibuko, founder and creative director of House of Fabrosanz, an internationally recognised fashion house known for its bold, culture-inspired designs;
• Mzukisi Mbane, founder of Imprint SA, a pan-African brand honouring African heritage through Afro-futuristic designs and iconic prints;
• Ouma Tema, founder and director of Plus-Fab, a brand that redefines fashion for plus-size women, challenging stereotypes and celebrating curves; and
• Gert-Johan Coetzee, one of South Africa’s most renowned fashion designers whose creations have graced major events like the SA Music Awards, SA Film and Television Awards, and Miss World.

The operation to combat counterfeit goods has resulted in the arrest of two Ethiopian nationals for violating the Immigration Act and the confiscation of about 7,000 counterfeit items imitating popular global brands, including sports apparel, shoes, perfumes, sunglasses, watches and bags.

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