Musa Sukwene, the Idols SA winner, and his bride Tshiamo Makama recently tied the knot in an intimate ceremony that has ignited a heated debate about cultural appropriation in South Africa. The couple’s choice of attire, designed by BMashilo Designs, featured a bold blend of South African and Nigerian cultural elements, drawing both praise and criticism from fans and social media users alike. Controversial wedding attire choices The newlyweds’ outfits, particularly Makama’s traditional Nigerian gele (headwrap) paired with a gown incorporating intricate beading, lacework, and ShweShwe print, became the focal point of the controversy.
While some celebrated the cross-cultural fashion fusion, others expressed outrage over the couple’s decision to wear “Nigerian attire” for their South African wedding. Nigerian fashion designer Ify Ubby, founder of OliveAnkara, explained to Vogue the cultural significance of the gele, describing it as a symbol of elegance and maturity worn by adult women in Nigerian culture. “The headwrap, which is called gele, is a part of a woman’s traditional attire in my culture.
Female adults, typically aged 20 and above, wear the gele as a sign of elegance and maturity. Women often wear a uniformed coloured gele if they are among an organisation or at an event, such as a wedding or party,” said Ubby. However, this explanation did little to quell the concerns of some South African and Nigerian netizens who viewed the couple’s attire as ina.