With 12 official languages, 9 provinces, and a country filled with love, it’s fair to say that South Africa’s diversity is pretty amazing.
Planning and celebrating weddings differ across cultures and religions in South Africa, and it is important for all locals and Internationals to be informed about the unique traditions the country has to offer.
With that being said, Wedding Etc has started an exciting and informing series that will delve into several wedding cultures and traditions in South Africa. The series will primarily focus on the cultural wedding attires of the groom, bride, and guests.
In the first series piece we will be covering the Xhosa wedding attire. Keep an eye out for our future features on others such as the Zulu, Indian and Muslim cultures.
The bride’s attire
The Xhosa ethnic group is the second-largest cultural group in South Africa and their weddings are a huge celebration. The bride, called the umakoti, is traditionally the centre of attention.
On her special day the bride wears a long skirt or dress which is called the Ijermani or isishweshwe, which symbolizes that she is no longer a girl. The skirt is like no other as it is covered in beautiful embroidery and beadwork from top to button.
This part of the outfit is then paired with a tartan blanket that wraps neatly around the bride’s shoulder. The blanket represents the protection and care that the bride-to-be will add to her new family.
The final touches include a woolen scarf around the bride’s waist, a black doek and beaded necklaces, bracelets, necklaces, and a matching handbag.
The groom’s attire
The groom’s outfit is quite a powerful statement as it is usually warrior inspired and also echo’s his bride’s attire. He wears a white wrap around his waist that has the same decorations as the bride. The groom also wears a blanket, called ingwaca, over his shoulders. To finish the look, the groom’s head and neck are showered with beads.
The bridesmaids and groomsmen attire
The family members of the newlyweds dress in similar patterns and fabrics. They are not as extravagant but they complement the couple of the day.
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The economic downturn over the past year, coupled with the need to reduce expenses, has seen a rise in vacant properties across South Africa and an increase in…
It’s most likely that we all went through a little phase where we neglected our hair this past summer. Read on to find out how you can undo the damage.
1. Get a trim
If your hair is splitting and breaking off, or even shedding more than it usually would, it’s time for a decent trim. Broken, extremely fragile hair is often a result of irreversible damage and cannot be repaired, no matter how many treatments you do! There’s no point in holding on to dead ends, so take the plunge and snip off as much of the damage as possible to give your hair the best chance of repairing and growing out even stronger.
2. Avoid chemicals
As tempting as it may be to dive in to a fresh batch of bleach, there’s a much easier way to recharge blonde tones until your next salon visit. The Wella Invigo Blonde Recharge Shampoo uses cool tones of violet to brighten and add vibrancy to coloured blonde hair. It helps to eliminate the all-familiar yellow, brassy tones blondes experience after one too many pool dips and not enough moisture.
3. Boost your colour
Going darker is often the solution to help hair look a little healthier and to revive its overall glossy appearance. By adding darker and warmer tones to your hair, it will help to neutralise brassy tones without compromising on shine. Aftercare is important too, to keep the colour from fading and to help replenish your stands with every wash. At-home treatments that mimic those used in salons can extend your colour for weeks on end and maintain than just-came-from-the-salon look. Wella’s Invigo Color Brilliance range does just that, consisting of a shampoo, conditioner, mask and BB spray, completing your entire routine with one fell swoop.
4. Avoid unnecessary damage
Whether it’s a tight undo, an everyday ponytail or extra brushing and untangling of windswept hair, there’s no denying that our hair goes through more mechanical damage in summer than in winter. Try to only brush hair on wash days, with the help of a wide-toothed comb, a detangling product or some extra conditioner. You can also wrap your hair in a silk or satin scarf to help avoid hair knotting while sleeping, and making use of scrunchies or anti-snag hair ties.
5. Restore
You’ll know your hair is damaged when it feels rough and has a lacklustre appearance, especially if it’s longer and has been exposed to more wear and tear with every summer. A deeply hydrating, reparative treatment will help to plump up the follicles and restore some elasticity to brittle and dehydrated hair. The Wella Invigo Nutri-Enrich range is a trusted solution and a go-to for all hair types that suffer from post-summer damage. Rich in vitamins and minerals, it replenishes stressed locks by using the nourishing powers of Oleic Acid and Panthenol, along with strengthening peptides found in Goji Berry.
Find a participating salon near you HERE or shop the ranges online HERE.
Picture: Unsplash
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The Department of Home Affairs has officially resumed a wider variety of services, now that the country is back at Level 1 lockdown.
On Thursday, March 4 the Department began allowing South Africans to apply for and collect their passports, as well as register their marriages among other services. This comes after marriage services were temporarily suspended on January 12.
The following services will be resumed during Alert Level 1 lockdown:
• Re-issues of Smart ID Cards and identity documents
• Registration and solemnisation of marriages
• Amendments and rectifications
• Late registration of birth for all categories
• Applications and collections of passports for all categories
The citizenship service remains temporarily unavailable. Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi urges citizens to remain cautious and follow COVID-19 health and safety protocols when visiting a Home Affairs office.
“We do not want our offices to be super spreader sites. We urge everyone who visits our offices to observe social distancing, sanitise their hands regularly and to wear their masks properly, covering their noses and mouths,” he said.
Picture: Pexels
Your wedding day is a special moment, one you’ll want to look your absolute best for. If you’re not afraid to show some skin and ooze class and…
Some meet their future partner late in life, and others can say they’ve known their love since they were kids. But how often is it that you meet your future husband right at birth?
In a wild twist of fate, Courtney Mahnken and her now fiancé Nick Monguso discovered they were actually born in the same New Jersey hospital 26 years ago. In fact, their moms gave birth right next to each other.
Taking to TikTok, Mahnken shared the truly crazy coincidence. Since posting on February 18. her TikTok has been viewed over 7.7-million times.
“When I was 14 years old, I got my first boyfriend. It was the first time my mom was ever meeting one of my boyfriend’s moms, obviously,” Mahnken says in the clip. “The first thing she says to his mom is ‘Oh my god you look so familiar! Where did you give birth?’”
“Immediately I’m embarrassed, and they start talking about their birthing stories. Well, come to realize, they gave birth next to each other,” she recalls.
“My boyfriend and I are less than 24 hours apart, and my last name starts with “Ma,” his starts with “Mo,” so not only that, we were next to each other in the baby room. My mom remembered them because he was the ‘big fat baby.”
@reneemahnkie#stitch with @breecard #greenscreen I guess you can say we are actually soulmates ??♀️♬ original sound – Courtney Mahnken
Keeping up with their series of coincidences, the pair attended the same elementary school, middle school, and high school. The pair began dating as teenagers but broke up before reconnecting when they attended the same college years later.
Monguso went down on one knee to propose in November 2020, and they plan to tie the knot in June 2022.
Picture: Pexels