Women showcase their heritage in traditional attire
To celebrate Heritage Day and their individual cultures, a group of women wore their traditional attire to work and shared some characteristics of their culture.
The Randfontein Herald spoke to employees at a local factory who proudly shared their cultural traditions in celebration of Heritage Day.
• Also read: Traditions that shape a proud Xhosa woman
Keimametse Innocentia Semenya, also known as Kim Mabaso, wore her traditional Tsonga attire. She explained that the Tsonga people are originally from Limpopo.
When it comes to art, Tsonga communities are known for their skill in crafts such as beadwork, pottery, basketry, and woodcarving.
“We often use natural and symbolic designs in our art,” Kim said. The Tsonga are also celebrated for their lively music and dance, including Shangaan Electro, a high-energy genre that combines traditional rhythms with modern electronic beats and is popular across South Africa.
As a musician herself, Kim expressed her pride in the culture through her own song, Khanimambo.
Kim’s colleague, Abigail Lalo, represented the Xhosa culture in her attire, which is traditionally worn by married women. The garments, known as umbhaco, are made from durable cotton fabric and often decorated with beadwork and embroidery. The full attire may include skirts, shawls, and headgear, worn during cultural ceremonies and formal events.
Colleagues Vanessa van der Merwe, Lorencia Padayachey, and Rowlene Adams showcased the Coloured culture. Rowlene explained that the culture is shaped not by race or biology, but by community, identity, and shared customs.
In South Africa, the term Coloured is a unique cultural identity that developed during colonial times and Apartheid. It mainly refers to people of mixed ancestry,” she said.
She added that Coloured traditions are a blend of African, European, and Asian influences. Many communities speak Afrikaans as their first language, while others speak English, and some use a mix of the two.
