Designer Thebe Magugu on Where He Shops and Dances in Cape Town

“The fashion in Cape Town is so inimitable because it takes from our own culture and heritage,” says South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu. Though he's based in Johannesburg, work frequently brings him to the capital—including for a suite he designed at Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel, Cape Town, which he filled with works by local artists. For Magugu, whose current collection “looks at the changing face of African spirituality,” it's the people wearing his clothes who help preserve his vision. Here, the spots he never misses.The Thebe Magugu Suite terrace Inge PrinsInside the Thebe Magugu Suite at Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel, Cape Town Mount Nelson, a Belmond HotelArt institutions, big and small“The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa is one of the most beautiful buildings in Cape Town. Inside is the largest collection of contemporary art by Africans and the continent's diaspora. I also love Southern Guild gallery around the corner, and my friend Anelisa Mangcu's space, Under the Aegis.”Trawling for inspiration“I like introducing compelling objects from Longmarket Street into my look books. It's lined with people selling African masks, straw mats, and wood carvings of various animals, both realistic and mythological. I always go without a plan, but I know that someday I'll need the items I find.”A view of Cape Town Philipp HeigelGet into the groove“Music is a big part of my life in Cape Town—I associate it with being out in the community. I shop at Roastin' Records and dance with friends at Souk. Gqom Therapy is [dedicated to] a new genre of South African dance music and a must-do party with the best sound system.”Shop and rub shoulders“I always recommend concept shop AKJP Studio, which was started by my friends Keith Henning and Jody Paulsen. It stocks some of the greatest South African fashion designers and, from 6 p.m., turns into a bar frequented by local creatives.”This article appeared in the September/October 2026 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.