The icon has died, but his freedom shirt lives on

 President Cyril Ramaphosa is a formal suit and tie kind of guy, but occasionally he trades in his pin stripes for a flamboyant Madiba-style shirt. 

Loved for its striking appearance, comfort and versatility, the shirt made popular by Nelson Mandela has become the go-to option not only for presidents but for business leaders, bodyguards and global icons.

“The president was inspired by Madiba, the style and colourful appearance of the shirts, as well as the comfort and the relaxation they provide,” said presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.

It turns out this was the exact brief that  designer Sonwabile Ndamase of Vukani fashion label received from Madiba when they spoke about the original shirt.

Madiba wanted the shirt to be everything to everyone — cool, comfortable and sophisticated, and acceptable in every context from the street to the boardroom.

The shirt needed to suit every occasion, in any company, said Ndamase.

“One of the things that I had to take into consideration was that he had health issues caused by working in the stone quarries during his 27 years on the island, which affected his lungs.

“He said he needed something that is nice and cool, which he will be comfortable wearing when he goes and addresses captains of industry, and also something easy for when he has to address the masses.”

Ndamase said that when he arrived for his first consultation, Mandela told him he wanted to look elegant “in his own way" when meeting his international head-of-state peers.

South Africa’s first democratic president did not want to look like his predecessors or Oliver Tambo, who wore conventional suits. Ndamase quotes Mandela as saying: “I don’t have that kind of a dress code. I want to look unique in my own right.” 

Little did Ndamase think that “Madiba shirts" would become a signature look for generations to come and that he would go on to tailor them for such luminaries as Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Bill Campbell — a former mayor of Atlanta — and US singer-songwriter Chris Walker.

“Clothes are symbols that tell who you are, where you come from and where you are going," Ndamase said.

“If you dress as a leader or a churchgoer, you need to have a particular look, because it enhances and resonates with how other people look at you. People respond to how you dress,” he said.

Ramaphosa recently wore one of the designer’s shirts when he launched the Border Management Authority in Musina. 

Magwenya said it was perfect for the day because “it was a formal occasion, but it was extremely hot, so the shirt became appropriate for both the occasion and the environment he was in".

“The versatility of these shirts allows for both formal and less formal occasions. When the president took a tour of the border facilities in Beitbridge, he was joined by President [Emmerson] Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, who also sported a Madiba shirt, which points to their growing popularity even outside our borders,” he said. 

Deputy President Paul Mashatile is also a fan. 

“[The shirts] are convenient when you need to be both formal and comfortable," he said. “They are especially great for our climate, where you sometimes must attend formal events in your official capacity, but summer temperatures are sky high and it’s not advisable to be in a suit and tie. They are also great as elegant evening wear.” 

Sharing a designer increases the likelihood that at some events you will bump into someone wearing the same shirt.

Magwenya, who regularly wears easy-to-pack Madiba shirts, including when travelling on official trips abroad, said: “There’s a running joke between myself and the deputy president because at the 15th Brics summit dinner we both wore the same shirts. Recently in Cape Town he identified one of my shirts and proudly declared that he also has one.

“When I started wearing Madiba shirts after joining the Presidency last year, premier [Panyaza] Lesufi quipped: ‘Welcome to the club.’ Later I would have a good laugh at his expense when he rocked up at the presidential guest house for a meeting wearing a suit, he looked so uncomfortable.” 

Magwenya said the shirts were so widely worn by members of the government that they seemed to have become the state uniform. “The good thing is none of us are obsessed with exclusivity. When I now buy my shirts, I always joke that I want to choose from shirts that neither the deputy president, sports minister Zizi Kodwa or premier Lesufi have bought.” 

Kodwa said he had “adored" Madiba in his “authentic and original” shirts, so it was natural that he wanted some of his own.

His Madiba shirts are only for special occasions. “They are for where the Mandela vision fits, like in sporting events. President Mandela attached high significance to sports and state occasions. Every time I have received heads of state and government wearing a Mandela shirt, I get to hear them tell a story about Mandela and how much the president influenced them."  

A member of Ramaphosa’s personal protection team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he has six Madiba shirts. “The most important reason I wear them is because you look neat, and the fact that you are not forced to wear a tie when you are wearing them.” 

Lesufi was first struck by the Madiba style when he was a student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

“[Mandela’s] humbleness when criticised by Archbishop Desmond Tutu about wearing these shirts during official ceremonies cemented my interest,” the Gauteng premier said.

Lesufi said he has two wardrobes full of Madiba shirts. “I love them because I can attend three different events a day, from a funeral, to a political rally to a gala dinner, without necessarily changing anything.” 

Before Mandela commissioned Ndamase to make his shirts, he had worn similar shirts designed by South African-born Desré Buirski, who now lives in California. 

She told the Sunday Times demand for her shirts had risen, with most buyers being politicians.

“I think it’s a constant evolution. To know that the current president, the men around him and young men in South Africa are still inspired by the shirt, which represents freedom, is beautiful. I think it shows that we are able to tap into the young and older market.” 

Buirski’s Mandela connection was established in 1994 when she gave him a “fish shirt" as a gift shortly before his inauguration — she could not get close enough to Madiba but asked a bodyguard to pass it on to him.

Days later, he wore it to an event in parliament.

“This was the hand-printed batik black shirt with fish on it," Buirski said. “I created that shirt before I started making the shirts for Madiba and I would have never expected that shirt to become such a special shirt. We later auctioned it for the ANC's telephone bill in 1994 for the Western Cape, and we got R17,000 for it.” 

Her dream now is to design a special shirt for Ramaphosa. 

“It would be exciting and an honour to be able to meet him and maybe design him a shirt he would like.”