In South Africa, one designer is making knitwear inspired by his cultural roots and it's become a global brand. CGTN's Yolisa Njamela reports.

MaXhosa by Laduma is a distinctive knitwear brand that is rooted in Laduma Ngxokolo's journey into creating Xhosa-inspired knitwear. AmaXhosa is one of South Africa's largest ethnic groups. Laduma's knitwear pieces grew from an academic thesis on the wardrobes of Amakrwala. Amakrwala are young Xhosa initiates who have to wear formal clothing as part of a rite of passage.

LADUMA NGXOKOLO OWNER, MAXHOSA BY LADUMA "When I had to go through the process I felt like the clothes were not culturally enough, they were not Xhosa enough. Hence when I did a research I realised that AmaXhosa 'Xhosa people' have the most beautiful bead work in Africa hypothetically speaking. And then I went on to take those motifs colours, patterns that are of reference of the bead work, modified them and then turned them into what you see today, MaXhosa pattern that is a contemporary interpretation of Xhosa bead work and then I realised that Xhosa people are more than Amakrwala. They are a beautiful nation and although they are 1% of Africa's population, they really represent the African ecstatic very well."

It was in 2010 that he discovered a collection of Xhosa beadwork that he described as having astonishing patterns and colours. He then translated them digitally into knitwear patterns, which were then transferred to a knitting program.

LADUMA NGXOKOLO OWNER, MAXHOSA BY LADUMA "The market has been around for decades now but what I saw that was missing from the market was that African products are often sold as Curo products which does not have to be the case. So I saw the gap in the clothing sector that most African brands do not position themselves in the calibre that they deserve to be and so because I use premium material I innovate my designs and I came up with something that endorses culture, not only the Xhosa but also the African aesthetic and also had a bold distinctive look that people can easily pick. It was easy to penetrate that market and build a brand perception and a sense of authenticity that people will feel comfortable with."

Ngxokolo's brand has been well received from different races and cultures.

YOLISA NJAMELA JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA "Maxhosa by Laduma has emerged as one of South Africa's fastest-growing fashion exports. The clothing line has gained a considerable following and endorsement from international celebrities."

Ngxokolo captures the hearts of many fashion lovers globally. He's already showcased his work in many countries on this continent, in New York, Oslo, Berlin, Amsterdam amongst others. He now wants to expand his brand.

LADUMA NGXOKOLO OWNER, MAXHOSA BY LADUMA "The ultimate vision for MaXhosa by Laduma is to establish it as a lifestyle brand. That can be a high magnitude brand that can be converted into other lifestyle products like swimwear, perfume, hotel, boutique hotel and to a restaurant and various other products that we will live around in the future that we have not even seen the life of yet."

Ngxokolo wants to ascertain MaXhosa by Laduma as an international premium brand, proudly made in South Africa.