The city of Maputo is preparing to host, from 28 September to 3 October 2026, the 10th edition of Fancy Africa, a milestone that coincides with the celebration of 10 years of what is today one of the most important platforms for promoting African fashion.
Under the motto "Ubuntu – We Have History. We Are Culture. Africa Rise.", the festival promises to bring together creativity, innovation, business and cultural exchange in a special edition devoted to asserting African fashion on the international stage.
More than a festival of fashion shows, Fancy Africa has established itself, over a decade, as a space for training, entrepreneurship and the valuing of African talent. To mark this historic moment, the organisation has prepared an enhanced programme, focusing on building professionals' skills, on the internationalisation of the industry and on creating new opportunities for designers, models, entrepreneurs and creatives. During the Luju Festival in Eswatini, the project's founder and creative director, King Levi, told the Mozambican press that one of the big novelties of this edition is the strengthening of the training component.
This year the initiative includes the Fancy Africa Fashion Forum, aimed at designers already established in the market, as well as the Fancy Africa Fashion Lab, a platform that offers workshops, specialist training and development programmes for young creatives and children interested in fashion.
"We are very focused on creating production spaces, developing children and young designers and continuing to show Mozambican work to the world," said King Levi.
The international dimension will remain one of the event's hallmarks. According to the designer, around 45 creators from different parts of the world are expected to take part in this edition, representing countries such as Mozambique, Brazil, France, Guinea-Bissau, South Africa, Eswatini and other African nations, reinforcing Fancy Africa's positioning as a platform for creative exchange and business.
Another novelty will be a food fair, designed to showcase the flavours of Mozambique's different provinces. The initiative arose, according to Levi, after a recommendation from the First Lady of Mozambique, who encouraged the organisation to include the national culinary diversity in the festival. Alongside this, there will be a Pop Store & Fashion Experience, intended for displaying and selling products from small entrepreneurs and emerging brands.
The programme of the 10th edition also includes the Fancy Africa Summit, masterclasses, a Cultural Day, three days of international fashion shows, networking sessions and business opportunities, consolidating the event as a platform that links creativity, investment and entrepreneurship.
Among the most eagerly awaited moments is the launch of the Fancy Africa Awards, a new honour that will recognise designers, models and other figures who have contributed to the growth of African fashion and to building the project's history over the last ten years.
"Those who have walked with us during these 10 years deserve to be recognised. It is a celebration of the consistency, creativity and resilience of everyone who believed in the project from the start," King Levi stressed.
For six days, Maputo will be the centre of African creativity, hosting designers, models, brands, buyers, investors, specialist journalists and fashion lovers from different parts of the world. With a varied programme and a strong focus on training and internationalisation, Fancy Africa reaffirms itself as one of Africa's largest platforms dedicated to fashion, the creative economy and cultural entrepreneurship.
