Y-MZANZI

Y-MZANZI!!!
A celebration of early-2000s South Africa

Remember when South Africa had a little more flair?

When your favourite song lived on a burned CD or cassette, radio dedications were serious business, music videos had you glued to Channel O, and everyone had a very specific opinion about what constituted a proper Saturday outfit? When kwaito, hip-hop, R&B and house music's early sounds filled the streets, denim was everywhere, tracksuits were a fashion statement, and your favourite brand on your T-shirt said something about you? Carvella ran the streets.

Y-Mzanzi is a throwback to the South Africa of the early 2000s. A night built around the music, fashion, language, pop culture, memories and everyday moments that made that era uniquely ours. An evening that draws from the sounds and visual culture of the time, with live entertainment, nostalgic experiences, slam poetry and plenty of opportunities to relive the Mzansi you remember, or discover the one you missed. All while connecting with like-minded creatives who make art that screams "K'se Mzansi la!"

This is not a 2000s-inspired party from somewhere else.
This is our 2000s.

THE DRESS CODE: EARLY-2000s MZANSI

We're not asking you to vaguely "dress retro."
Come dressed as your version of early-2000s South Africa.
Think:
Low-rise capri's, ama-kip kip shirts, and that three-step skirt discarded at the back of your closet.
Whether you were a Y2K it-girl, a kwaito kid, a township trendsetter, a school-uniform fashion architect, a hip-hop head or simply someone who remembers the era, we want to see it.

And there's one more thing...

WEAR ONE PURPLE ITEM

As a nod to Women For Change's Purple Movement, we invite every guest to incorporate something purple into their outfit.
The Purple Movement turned purple into a visible symbol of solidarity in the fight against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in South Africa.
It can be subtle or impossible to miss. A shirt. Earrings. Shoes. A bandana. Makeup. Your whole outfit if you're feeling brave.
Just bring a little purple into the room.

THE MZANSI GRAFFITI TEE

And then there's the part we're particularly excited about.
The first 20 people to purchase tickets will receive a FREE Mzansi Graffiti Tee, customised for them live at Y-Mzanzi.
Here's the catch: you choose what goes on it.

Our graffiti artist will be at the event, and you'll get to tell them what you want your shirt to say, represent or look like. A name. A phrase. A symbol. Your favourite word. Your own little piece of Mzansi. They'll bring it to life right there, on the spot.

Come dressed for the decade.
Come ready for the nostalgia.
Come with your purple.
And come ready for a curated time capsule experience.

Y-Mzanzi
Early-2000s South Africa, brought back to life.

Presented by TetherHaus as part of The Assembly.