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[title]There are so many good reasons to love ‘The Nellie’. For 125 years, it’s epitomised luxury in the Mother City, whether you stop in for Afternoon Tea, admire the art that fills the corridors, or check in for the night. And with its latest collaboration, the Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, is proving that it has a finger pressed more tightly than ever to Africa’s creative pulse.
In the month that the Mother City welcomes the Investec Cape Town International Art Fair, the Mount Nelson has thrown open the doors to the Thebe Magugu Suite.
Who is Thebe Magugu?
If you’re not au fait with the world of African fashion, Thebe Magugu is one of South Africa’s most celebrated fashion designers. Born in Kimberley and known for his considered exploration of African identity and contemporary elegance, for the past decade Magugu has taken his unique take on African fashion from Mzansi to the world.
And now he brings that nuanced lens to one of Mount Nelson’s historic wings, with the two-storey Thebe Magugu Suite along the historic Palm Avenue.
It’s Magugu’s debut in luxury hospitality design, and – let me tell you – it’s a knockout.
Billed as an ‘Afro-modernist sanctuary’, it is indeed the kind of suite where you might check in and never leave. Melding African heritage and British sensibility, it’s a space alive with texture and organic tones, a true cocoon where you’ll want to sit quietly and let your eyes soak in the detail.
Created in collaboration with StudioLandt, the lower level opens into a cosy lounge and dining area, filled with sculptural forms and locally crafted elements. There’s symbolism everywhere here, from the ceramics filled with dried corn leaves to the over-sized lampshade takings its cue from Basotho headwear. Handcrafted dining chairs are shaped by the curves of traditional pottery, while hand-sketched panoramic wallpapers trace South Africa’s landscapes from the Midlands to the Cape.
Up the staircase – stopping to admire the work by South African artist Mmangaliso Nzuza – the passageway opens into the king-size bedroom, dressed in bespoke patterned textiles. The marble-clad en-suite bathroom, with freestanding soaking tub and aged brass detailing, offers Magugu’s own bespoke gown and slippers and Rituals by Thebe Magugu bath amenities.
Beyond the bedroom, a private balcony serves up views of Lion’s Head and the original hotel building, rooting this African sanctuary within the hotel precinct.
“This project has allowed me to explore how fashion can live beyond the body – extending into space and atmosphere. After two years of planning and production, the level of care is evident in the narrative layering, emotional backbone, and craftsmanship throughout. The result is a delicate balance between English grandeur and African sensuality,” says Magugu.
If your pockets aren’t quite deep enough to enjoy a night in the Suite, it’s worth a stop for a peek into the Magugu House Cape Town in the adjacent building. A satellite to the larger Magugu House in Johannesburg, this concept store and cultural space is intended as a hub for fashion, art and creative conversations. There’s a showroom for Magugu’s own collections, alongside gallery space for a rotating roster of artists.
Magugu House, Cape Town, opens with ‘By Our Own Hands’, featuring works by Zanele Muholi and Zizipho Poswa. It’s a show (I’m told) that is “rooted in the idea that making is a form of self-articulation, healing and resistance, the exhibition explores creative practices shaped by cultural knowledge, lineage and intention. It highlights how everyday objects, as well as found materials, are transformed into objects of beauty and meaning, framing this ingenuity as cultural authorship rather than survival.”
By Our Own Hands will run until the end of April 2026.
The space will host monthly film screenings as well as salon-style conversations, exhibitions, and cultural events, positioning Mount Nelson as a hub for creative cultural conversations.
“Mount Nelson has always been a place where culture lives and evolves,” says Patrick Fisher, General Manager of Mount Nelson. “This collaboration with Thebe Magugu allows us to go deeper – to create spaces that are not only beautiful, but purposeful and rooted in place. Both the Thebe Magugu Suite and Magugu House Cape Town reflect our belief that true luxury is slow, thoughtful and locally resonant.”
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