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Each Sweet Savannah collection tells a story inspired by the people and places behind it.
Rather than letting seasonal trends dictate her designs, Sweet Savannah founder Mpha-Cecillia Kapasula finds inspiration in Africa’s natural wonders, celebrating the continent through fashion while inspiring curiosity about its landscape and cultural heritage. What began as a creative philosophy has grown into the foundation of the brand’s DNA and earned Mpha-Cecillia the Capitec Rising Star Award at Decorex Africa 2026.
Despite its current identity, Sweet Savannah didn’t begin as a fashion label. It all began in 2018, when Mpha-Cecilla set out to create home decor inspired by African fabrics. She produced a range of cushions, stools and furniture that celebrated the continent’s vibrant colours and bold prints. Mpha-Cecilla identified a gap in the market, which culminated in the introduction of furniture that stood apart from the neutral palettes that had become common in many homes.
Without warning, just over a year later, the Covid-19 pandemic brought its early momentum to an abrupt halt. Sales gradually dried up, which intensified the urgency for the business to pivot. Mpha-Cecilla’s determination to keep the business alive propelled her to take up a new skill new skill in sewing. With the world on lockdown, YouTube became her “fashion school” of choice, and she tested the market by producing face masks. What started as an income-generating venture soon evolved into the first step towards a new chapter for the business.
As lockdown restrictions were lifted, she began to see a different path forward for the business. People were spending less on home decor and more on clothes for work, travel and social occasions. This was a turning point for the business - Mpha-Cecillia transformed Sweet Savannah from a home decor brand into a fashion label.
The move into fashion began with a personal project. Before a trip to Cape Town, Mpha-Cecillia designed and created a cotton outfit after she couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for from retailers. That one outfit was Sweet Savannah’s first step towards becoming the Pan-African fashion brand it is today.
The move into fashion presented a fresh set of challenges. The financial realities of building a business meant Mpha-Cecillia couldn’t rely on Sweet Savannah alone. For a period, she balanced working full-time and continuing to build Sweet Savannah on the weekends. Finding financial support proved to be one of the toughest parts of the journey, but it never shook her belief in the brand’s potential.
She deliberately steered away from fast fashion, focusing on crafting quality garments in limited quantities, with many pieces made to order rather than mass produced. She believed that every collection should have a story and purpose behind it.
“I don’t just create good garments,” she says. “There’s a story behind it.”
Over time, it has become central to Sweet Savannah’s identity. Every collection is inspired by a different natural wonder across Africa, bringing Mpha-Cecillia’s love of travel and her passion for thoughtful design. Inspired by one of Africa’s volcanoes, her latest collection invites people to see fashion as a gateway to discovering the continent’s diverse landscapes.
“I want to teach people about inspiration,” she says. “Through the garments, I want to show that we’ve got this one thing on the continent that I’ve decided to hero in this collection.”
The Capitec Rising Star Award at Decorex Africa marked another important milestone in Mpha-Cecillia’s journey. For the entrepreneur, the award represented more than industry recognition - it validated the years she had spent reshaping the business without compromising its vision.
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“It came at the right time because this year I was focusing on the business 100%,” she says. “To be recognised for the work that I’ve done is literally the greatest achievement. It motivates me to do more.”
The recognition hasn’t changed her focus. Her attention is already on what’s next. Mpha-Cecillia is currently preparing Sweet Savannah’s summer collection and collaborating with a group of DJs on a football jersey project that can be found on the business’s social media page, alongside other ventures.
Looking back, she says the journey has taught her to trust herself and remain committed to her vision even when others struggled to understand it.
“You have to take a chance on yourself,” she says. “Believe in yourself, trust yourself and have faith.”
What began with African-inspired interiors has fully evolved into a fashion brand rooted in storytelling, with each collection offering a new perspective on the continent’s natural wonders.
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