When passion, art, and life intersect, you get an explosion of culture and creativity from those who best know their metropolis. From catching long train rides into the city to expertly carving their lane in the Cape Town streets, this collective is representative of the South African creative spirit. Meet Broke Boy$, an ever-growing multidisciplinary movement, founded in 2016 and led by a collective of young Black South African creatives. This influential crew have made their way to the top of street culture, infiltrating their creative talent within the hub of The City of Cape Town. With over 7000 instagram followers, their influence is magnetic. They describe themselves as a ‘cross-cultural clothing brand that aims to tell the stories of those regarded as misfits, and/or the Rebels of society’.
We got to sit down with the collective to chat to them about their narrative, the brand, and redefining what it is to be Broke. Learn how they have found a positive spin to their story by going after their dreams and finding their place within the beloved Mother city.
Photographer: Nick van Tiem | @nickvantiem | www.nickvantiem.com
1.) Considering all of you guys are from different cities within South Africa, you came to Cape Town at some point. And now, you are all here together working as a team, building your empire. But, let us track back a bit. Tell me about some of your childhood memories that you remember growing up in your respective cities. Also, do you feel any of these memories directly connect to what you are doing now?
Sindio / Insert coins: Being from Joburg, we were always in areas where there is a creative hub. So, we were always around creatives. It became like second nature for us.
Simbongile Bino: Being from the Eastern Cape, there is not much for you to get into a creative focus on lifestyle or culture, or even just pushing those sides. For me to come to Cape Town, I saw it as an opportunity to do my own thing, eventually. Also, to talk about the clothing side of things, pretty much, is something that has been instilled in me since high school. For example, I would have a homie of mine need to just show some things, like the type of outfits he would love to wear because he could not afford them per se. So it was a thing like that for me. Coming to Cape Town, I gravitated towards these things when I met new people and the team. Now we have grown to do what we are right now.
2.) How would you describe the spirit of the city? In particular this city, The City of Cape Town.
BB: I got to learn a few things from this city and where I am from. I realized that Cape Town, in contrast to Joburg, has a difference when it comes to a fast-paced and slow-paced lifestyle. Cape Town is more like Miami. Everywhere else is pretty much faster. In this city, it is very laid back. But, this is also balancing for us. Because, for one, if we had to live that whole, fast paced life, if we lived in Joburg, we would be totally different people right now. I do not even know if we would have been friends in that context. So, I appreciate Cape Town in terms of this tribe mentality it brought within us. This was recognized by each one of us and we became friends through that.
3.) Would you say that this magnetic drive you have mentioned, brings you guys together as a whole?
BB: Yeah. In the sense that we are all striving for a common goal. So it is this goal that pushes each of us in the same direction. We start by influencing each other, before we could influence the street. So, it turns out that it is this drive that helps us go above and beyond. So it is just us being together.
4.) How do you guys, individually, as the people who are behind the movement, perceive Broke? Can each of you describe your identity/ movement in one word.
BB: Mindset [broke is a mindset].
Family.
Powerful.
Cultural figures.
Follow more our social media channel for more on this story: 10and5 IG + BROKE IG
Beefeater Gin brings you City Stories, a campaign that taps into the heart and culture of cities across South Africa. The Gin brand has worked with influencers such as Priddy Ugly and Rouge to perfectly encapsulate the elements and spaces that make South African nightlife what it is: from Konka to Edge of Glory. 10and5 has tagged into this campaign as a curator of the culture from the perspective of the creatives who make the city.
