Ed's Note
My first encounter with Maps Maponyane was a case of mistaken identity. He was a bright-eyed, little-known model and student in attendance at one of Jozi’s then premier events, honouring our country’s best-dressed men. It may have been the glasses and the gentle, open disposition, but as I greeted him and made small talk, I was convinced he was the rapper and producer Spoek Mathambo.
In 10 seconds, it became clear I had the wrong person, but our conversation flowed on and we have known each other personally in the 14 years since then and have had occasion to work together. That night, he told me that one day he, too, would be honoured like some of his idols. It happened the very next year. Although largely introverted, our cover star has carried with a muted confidence and drive his multi-hyphenate pursuits — television presenter, actor, MC, entrepreneur, and social-media phenom.
There was a time, several years ago, when the talk in some circles was that he was overexposed, with a crash and burn just over the horizon. No such thing has happened — what has transpired has, in fact, been the opposite. His evolution has, for example, seen him step away from being in front of the screen to play executive producer for the Akin Omotoso-directed film Courting Anathi and he has had business interests in food and tech, among a million other things we could never keep up with.
The famously well-dressed son of football royalty has developed a visible passion for sustainability over the years, letting us into his exploits in rural Scotland or a melting Antarctica. He recently lent his sartorial nous to a capsule collection with the sustainable local brand Sealand and, earlier this year, it was announced that he was now a Lexus brand partner, zipping around town in a UX 300h F Sport. Naturally, it’s a hybrid, as is the beauty on the cover, the NX 450h+ PHEV plug-in hybrid. In our cover story, Maponyane lets us into his journey with design, craftsmanship, art, sustainability, and how it all comes together in this partnership.
NOW AVAILABLE | Page through the August 2024 issue of Wanted and enlarge for easy viewing:
August issue 2024
NEW ISSUE: A life’s design
The many ways in which our cover star is making his mark
Ed's Note
My first encounter with Maps Maponyane was a case of mistaken identity. He was a bright-eyed, little-known model and student in attendance at one of Jozi’s then premier events, honouring our country’s best-dressed men. It may have been the glasses and the gentle, open disposition, but as I greeted him and made small talk, I was convinced he was the rapper and producer Spoek Mathambo.
In 10 seconds, it became clear I had the wrong person, but our conversation flowed on and we have known each other personally in the 14 years since then and have had occasion to work together. That night, he told me that one day he, too, would be honoured like some of his idols. It happened the very next year. Although largely introverted, our cover star has carried with a muted confidence and drive his multi-hyphenate pursuits — television presenter, actor, MC, entrepreneur, and social-media phenom.
There was a time, several years ago, when the talk in some circles was that he was overexposed, with a crash and burn just over the horizon. No such thing has happened — what has transpired has, in fact, been the opposite. His evolution has, for example, seen him step away from being in front of the screen to play executive producer for the Akin Omotoso-directed film Courting Anathi and he has had business interests in food and tech, among a million other things we could never keep up with.
The famously well-dressed son of football royalty has developed a visible passion for sustainability over the years, letting us into his exploits in rural Scotland or a melting Antarctica. He recently lent his sartorial nous to a capsule collection with the sustainable local brand Sealand and, earlier this year, it was announced that he was now a Lexus brand partner, zipping around town in a UX 300h F Sport. Naturally, it’s a hybrid, as is the beauty on the cover, the NX 450h+ PHEV plug-in hybrid. In our cover story, Maponyane lets us into his journey with design, craftsmanship, art, sustainability, and how it all comes together in this partnership.
NOW AVAILABLE | Page through the August 2024 issue of Wanted and enlarge for easy viewing:
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