Our Story Angle

The township space was created on the peripheries of major South African cities as a means of controlling the influx of blacks into urban areas. Townships are symbols of past economic and social exclusion.  They bear scars of separation, discrimination and as a result violence. However, over the years the legacy of the township space has shifted from marginalized settlements to emerging vibrant hubs of style, music and over-all culture.

The term Izikhothane, which refers to “the one with the most expensive clothes”, originated as a subculture in the early 2000s in Soweto and Diepsloot. Although often critiqued, izikhothanes have managed to construct a distinctive identity which has spread into the urban Johannesburg space.  The fashion, music and over-all style of the izikhothane offer new aesthetics to the South African arts and culture scene.

Through looking at the complexities of the township space, this documentary seeks to understand whether the practice of izikhotane (and other such subcultures) is merely a way for the youth to express themselves or whether this accessorization is the construction of the contemporary black self in South Africa

Representations of the black self after 1994 remained informed by the discourses of shared suffering and resistance. However, the emerging subcultures seek to resist the one-dimensional narratives of the township. The capacity to construct one’s identity despite the echoes of the history and the confines of the present is performed through dress, music etc.In our documentary we would like to explore whether the spread of this subculture is an act of re-presenting the black self in both township and urban spaces.

Izikhothane: A brief history

 

The word Izikhothane is a combination of two Zulu words: Izikhotha (to lick) and Ukukhothana (to mock). Originating in the early 2000s in Soweto and Diepsloot, this term is township slang for “the one with the most expensive clothes”. Izikhothane refers to showmanship or dance battles in which individuals or groups compete against each other in front of large crowds to determine which party is wealthier.

 

 

The sub-culture is based on the ability to afford high-end expensive brands.These ‘battles’ are performed using material items such as money, mobile phones, clothes, ultra-mel custard, lays chips and alcohol.In most instances a battle is won by the intentional destruction of one’s own expensive items in order to show the lack of concern for such material possessions due to the ability to afford more of the same. A competitor’s chances of victory is improved by having items that are more expensive than those of their opponent.

 

 

Izikhothanes are rarely from affluent backgrounds and their lifestyle is usually supported by their parents/grand-parents.They spend beyond their financial means in order to create a perception of opulence and therefore gain social status. The sub-culture began as something positive which promoted non-violence among township youth, however, over the years it has been critiqued for its wasteful behavior.