From Fashion to Social Media:
The Mbaliyezwe Way

Mbaliyezwe Ndlela is the founder and creative director of South African fashion brand, Mbaliyezwe Atelier. She was one of 25 upcoming fashion designers selected for the three month Durban Fashion Fair 2022 Mentorship Programme, where she was mentored by BET's Made In Africa judge, Doctoral Candidate and CEO of Fezile Fashion Skills Academy (FFSA), Fezile Mdletshe, as well as Thandanani Majola and Hlengiwe Gumede (also of FFSA). She showcased her debut range at the Durban Fashion Fair 2022  mentee fashion show, held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre Complex.

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Subsequent to graduating in Fashion Design, she founded Mbaliyezwe Atelier with the goal of telling stories through her unique and original fashion creations. She strives in creating clothing that is classic yet modern and functional yet fashionable. Whether you are looking for something cutting edge or timeless, each design is tailored with the client in mind.

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Mbaliyezwe appeared at number 27 on South Africa's Top 50 Most Influential Women on Twitter 2023  list, created by UK company, Brandwatch. She was one of 58 South African women who made the Top 200 Most Influential African Women on Twitter 2020 list, created by French company Smart Data Power and The Women in Africa Initiative - coming in at number 44.

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Boasting an online family of over 383 000 followers on Twitter (now X), 10 000 on Instagram and 8000 on Facebook, Mbaliyezwe has over the years blended her imagination, expression and writing skills to connect with people from all walks of life – becoming a trusted and professional social media influencer by producing high quality content for social media campaigns and promotions. More than just a job, she sees being a social media content creator as a dream come true to share her interests with others, and educate, inspire and spread positivity. Her creativity and dedication have earned her the opportunity to work with a variety of some of the most respected and recognized brands – including Ford, Standard Bank, Telkom, Showmax, Catrice Cosmetics, Clover, KFC, Rochester Furniture, Plascon and Avon – among others. Her niche is, but not limited to – fashion, beauty, positivity, travel and lifestyle. With her expertise and experience, Mbaliyezwe is able to provide fresh, innovative content that captures the essence of these brands.

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"Founded in 1991, Special Olympics South Africa is home to more than 45 000 talented athletes trained in 18 competitive sports. We provide year-round training for men, women and children with intellectual disabilities. Our goal is to transform their lives through the joy of sport, and to transform the lives of their families and communities." – Special Olympics South Africa website. Mbaliyezwe participated in the 2021 and 2022 Special Olympics South Africa Polar Plunge, remotely, to help create awareness and raise funds for Team South Africa.

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Mbaliyezwe was one of the ambassadors for (and participated in) the 16th Annual Avon Justine iThemba Walkathon  in 2021, which is the worldwide crusade against breast cancer. Proceeds from the annual event are donated to NGOs that work with breast cancer survivors, i.e. CANSA, Wings of Hope, as outlined on the Avon website.