ONEOFEACH Takes Home Two Well-Deserved Wins at 2024 V&A Waterfront Neighbourhood Retail Awards
ONEOFEACH Takes Home Two Well-Deserved Wins at 2024 V&A Waterfront Neighbourhood Retail Awards. By showcasing African designs on platforms from the United Nations to Times Square in New York City, ONEOFEACH challenges global narratives that often overlook the vibrancy of the continent’s cultures. Through beadwork, weaving, and printing, the brand transforms South African, Zimbabwean, and Botswanan patterns into modern products, highlighting the relevance of traditional art and design. In recognition of its outstanding work, the local fashion and homeware brand received the Empowerment Impact Award and the Global Brand Ambassador of the Year Award at the 2024 V&A Waterfront Neighbourhood Retail Awards.
The awards ceremony, held at the stylish new Spyced restaurant in the Silo District in late September, saw ONEOFEACH being recognised in two categories, judged by Wakanda Founder Miles Khubekha, Cape Town Tourism CEO Enver Duminy, and Wesgro Chief Tourism Officer Monika Iuel.
“ONEOFEACH exemplifies the V&A Waterfront’s core values, showcasing the best that South Africa is capable of,” says V&A Retail Executive, Alex Kabalin. “As a woman-led business prioritising job creation and training through The African Academy of Fashion, the team is deserving of the Empowerment Impact Award. Its growing international presence, especially in New York, represents South African talent and the V&A’s commitment to innovation. We are privileged to consider ONEOFEACH our Global Brand Ambassador of the Year.”
Starting in a shared studio space, ONEOFEACH now operates across three locations: its Watershed store at the V&A Waterfront, a shop in Woodstock, and a production studio on Loop Street in Cape Town’s city centre, which also hosts its skill-building initiative, The African Academy of Fashion (TAAF). Here, a dedicated team of ten craftswomen, eight of whom were trained at the academy, meticulously create every garment, accessory, and homeware item.
In 2020, ONEOFEACH collaborated with Nando’s Canada to design a range of blankets under the tagline ‘From South Africa to the World’. The brand won Top Young Entrepreneur at Africa’s Growth and Opportunity Act’s (AGOA) Exporter of the Year Awards in 2021 and was featured in Meta’s African Gift Guide in 2022. In 2023, founders Pauline Munemo Chirume and Tamburai Chirume spoke at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, discussing women-led innovations for equitable workforce development.
“In essence, being an ambassador for African design and identities is about honouring our roots, fostering innovation, and paving the way for a future where African narratives are celebrated and valued worldwide,” says Tamburai Chirume. “By nurturing the next generation of leaders, we promote diverse perspectives to challenge norms and drive social change. Ultimately, by investing in the youth, we are not just shaping individual lives but also laying the foundation for a prosperous, inclusive, and dynamic South Africa that can compete on the global stage.”
