Palesa has had her creations shown at practically all of the fashion shows and exhibits held in South Africa and other African countries.
Daimler Contemporary Art Exhibition in Berlin has included Mantsho Afro-space-age frocks in their collection of contemporary art.
Mantsho of Palesa was named one of the “Top 10 Fierce South African Women in Fashion” in 2010.
Palesa Mokubung’s collection, which debuted at SA Fashion Week in Rosebank, Johannesburg, in 2014, was warmly appreciated.
Awarded the Fashion and Innovation Award at the Mbokoko Women in the Arts Awards in 2014, she was given the opportunity to develop her skills further and expand her technical and theoretical knowledge in order to keep up with the rapidly changing fashion industry.
Palesa was one of the greatest designers present at the South African National Archery Association (SANAA) 2014, where they showcased their best creations in honor of the sports icons who were honored at the event.
A collection of Mantsho’s designs was featured as one of the “Five Renowned African Designers” during the Africa Africans Fashion Parade, which was held as part of a special program created by Sao Paulo Fashion Week to commemorate the event’s 20th anniversary in Brazil.
Palesa traveled to Greece, India, Jamaica, Nigeria, Botswana, Senegal, Brazil, and the United States (New York) to show off her Mantsho label creations to audiences throughout the world. Palesa Mokubung has shown a strong affinity for African culture throughout her life. She incorporates more of the African influence into her designs. She makes use of the native extravagant headdresses and traditional African hairdos; she chooses colors and patterns that represent African preferences; and she employs cotton fabric that is produced locally. To name a few examples, she is one of the very few designers in Africa who has fashioned dresses in ‘Shwe-Shwe’ fabric, also known as ‘Amadaki,’ which has been acclaimed as the tartan of South Africa and which she has incorporated as a distinctive feature in her designs. Even whether she is designing for local or international exhibitions, she is seldom seen deviating from the African culture that inspires her creations. Palesa utilized the runways at the Fashion Shows as a platform to not only walk the models in her creations, but also to have the models deliver a message of concern to the broader public about critical societal problems that she was concerned about. At the SA Fashion Week 2015, for example, Palesa had her models wear tops with the words ‘Boko Halaal’ printed on them, as well as placards, as a show of concern and support for the families of the victims of the Boko Haram tragedy, in which approximately 200 Nigerian schoolgirls were abducted and bomb blast incidents killed hundreds by the Islamic militant group Boko Haram. According to her, bringing attention to the difficulties on the ramps was not a “protest,” but rather a “process of healing” for her! Ms Mokubung has an excellent understanding of brand marketing strategy. Her creations may be seen in boutiques in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Botswana, and she also sells them on the internet (see below).
Palesa had a partnership with ‘Tie Weavers South Africa,’ a well-known apparel and textile manufacturer in South Africa. The Tie Weavers SA donated fabric for her exhibitions, which was very essential and costly, and in exchange, Mokubung supplied them her creativity and provided the firm with excellent visibility in the market, referring to the arrangement as a “cultural cooperation.”
Palesa Mokubung, who has a natural ability to please others, was able to persuade the Umsombomvu Youth Fund (UYF), a fund dedicated to providing a platform for job creation and skills development for South Africa’s young people, to sponsor her stall at the Sanlam South Africa Fashion Week: Spring/Summer Collection, 2008.
Edgars, a fashion shop, picked Mantsho as a part of their company’s Local Designer Initiative, which supports emerging fashion designers. Palesa was employed by Edgars as a designer for a period of three years under a written contract. (source)
Mantsho brands are available for purchase in the company’s own boutiques, as well as at other famous retailers and online. Mantsho designs are available for purchase via four online retailers: Zando, a secure online retailer; Edgars; Spree, South Africa’s first online retailer; and Burgundy Fly, an online retailer that also has flesh and mortar stores.
