Online Reporter
Mthokozisi Ncube
WHAT started with watching his mother and grandmother sew in rural Tsholotsho has blossomed into a fashion journey that has taken Sylvester Ngwenya across borders and onto some of Southern Africa’s biggest fashion platforms.
The 33-year-old designer and creative entrepreneur, from Tsholotsho Ward 18 under Chief Gampu in Dliwampondo, discovered sewing in 2004 after learning the craft from his family.
His family made and altered clothes, church garments, mourning attire and traditional outfits, giving Ngwenya an early taste of the fashion world.
He later studied Fashion at Mate Secondary School, but it was a tiny green skirt he made for his four-year-old sister in 2006 that convinced him sewing was more than just a family trade.
“That was when I realised that I genuinely loved creating garments and, more importantly, creating something that could make another person feel good,” he said.
For Ngwenya, fashion is much bigger than clothes.
“Fashion is not merely about creating clothing to cover the body; fashion is storytelling,” he said.
After high school, he moved to South Africa and worked in construction, hospitality and floor management at a bottle store. But he never abandoned fashion, continuing to make clothes for himself, his wife and friends.
In 2014, he enrolled at the Design Academy of Fashion in Cape Town and obtained a Diploma in Fashion, sharpening the skills he had inherited from his family.
His entrepreneurial journey gathered momentum in 2018 when he launched a handbag collection under Maveeh King before venturing into beachwear in 2021.
A stint in Qatar in 2022 further broadened his horizons before he returned to South Africa in 2023 with renewed determination.
He went on to work with established designers, including Thula Sindi and Yonela Collection.
That same year, he founded Sylveh Couture Pty Ltd, specialising in bespoke and made-to-measure couture, evening wear, bridal and special-occasion outfits.
His creations have since been worn by artists, media personalities and prominent figures, including Masechaba Mphoswa, Tracy Vocals, Thatohatsi, Mawoh and Sihle Dlamini from the Zulu Royal Family.
Most recently, he dressed Leslee and Rowlin for the 32nd South African Music Awards.
Ngwenya has also served as a judge for Miss Heart 2 Heart, using his fashion and creative-industry experience to assess and guide aspiring young personalities.
However, his fashion journey is not all glitz and glamour.
Between 2021 and 2022, he worked with 11 elderly women, helping them sew products for sale
through a shop and community markets.
He has also provided matric farewell outfits to disadvantaged students, initiatives he says have shown him how fashion can create opportunities and restore dignity.
His second venture, Destination Wear Co., focuses on premium, limited-edition fashion inspired by travel, exploration and individuality.
Now Ngwenya wants to bring more of his experience home.
He hopes to establish a Destination Wear Co. store in Zimbabwe, create employment and build stronger links between Zimbabwean and South African creatives.
He is already reconnecting with home through Sipho Mazibuko’s Miss Rural, where he is serving as assistant wardrobe manager for the September 27 event.
From a sewing room in Tsholotsho to dressing stars, judging pageants and working on major fashion events, Ngwenya’s story proves that sometimes the biggest dreams begin with the simplest stitch.
