The Absa Champagne in Africa Festival, known as one of the continent’s key celebrations of authentic French champagne and luxury culture, introduced a major creative highlight this year through a fashion collaboration with internationally recognised designer Rich Mnisi.
The festival marked its 23rd edition in 2025 and introduced its first national expansion to Cape Town. The Johannesburg showcase added an artistic focus that connected with fashion and design communities across the continent.
A capsule created for the 2025 edition
Mnisi developed a bespoke limited-edition capsule exclusively for the 2025 Absa Champagne in Africa Festival. The project formed a significant fashion moment that presented a meeting point between African identity, minimalist opulence, French champagne heritage and collectible wearable art.
The capsule centred around two signature pieces, a limited-edition silk scarf and a matching pocket square. Both items were created as keepsake objects for festival guests. Mnisi’s artworks layered symbolic motifs, refined linework and a commitment to visual storytelling. The designs explored the intersection of African expression and European craft, which has become a defining idea of the festival.
A bridge between cultural worlds
“These pieces were not created as accessories. They were created as stories,” Mnisi said at the event. “The festival holds a unique space in African luxury culture, and I wanted the capsule to feel like a bridge between worlds, contemporary, grounded, expressive and timeless.”
The role of design in the festival
Absa introduced the festival as more than a celebration of champagne. The event has become a cultural platform that highlights African creativity across gastronomy, design and fashion.
“The collaboration with Rich Mnisi represents exactly what the Absa Champagne in Africa Festival stands for,” said Sydney Mbhele, Group Chief Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer at Absa Group. “It is a celebration of craft and culture, and a reminder that African creativity belongs firmly at the centre of global luxury conversations.”
Couture meets champagne
The 2025 Johannesburg edition was curated in partnership with Shaun Anderson, Ambassadeur Dignitaire of L’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne. Guests were introduced to a setting where couture sensibility connected with the craftsmanship of more than 40 authentic French champagne houses.
Mnisi’s capsule became one of the most photographed and discussed aspects of the evening. Collectors, stylists, cultural tastemakers and design-focused attendees responded strongly to the collaboration.
African fashion within global luxury
The festival has historically been a space where conversations between fashion and luxury naturally take place. This year’s collaboration signalled a deeper commitment to positioning African designers within wider global luxury narratives. The partnership connects closely with Absa’s ambition to support African creativity and entrepreneurship.
Following the Johannesburg event, the festival continued its national expansion with a Cape Town edition on 22 November at the Norval Arts Foundation. Organisers indicated that fashion audiences can expect this focus on luxury, design and cultural storytelling to continue.
