Last year Kimberley-born Thebe Magugu made history as the first African to win the prestigious LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers. Now another South African is in the running.

Sindiso Khumalo, a sustainable fashion and textile designer based in Cape Town, is among 20 international designers who've made the 2020 LVMH Prize shortlist.

Launched in 2013 by LVMH, the parent company of luxury brand Louis Vuitton, this annual prize “aims to encourage emerging global talent through a combination of financial aid and business development opportunities”, reports AFP Relaxnews.

The winner will receive a €300,000 (about R4.8m) grant and one-year mentorship with a dedicated LVMH team.

In addition to the main prize, a special prize named in honour of late fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld will be awarded. The winner will receive a €150,000 (R2.4m) grant and a year-long LVMH mentorship.

Taking to Instagram to share the good news, Khumalo said: “I couldn’t be happier or more excited in this moment ... I am deeply humbled by the nomination ... This is nothing short of a dream. Ngiyabonga.”

Khumalo and her fellow semi-finalists will present their designs to a panel of international fashion experts — including supermodel Gigi Hadid and editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, Emmanuelle Alt — on February 27 and 28 in Paris.

The panel will select eight designers who'll go through to the finals on June 5 when the winners of the LVMH Prize and Karl Lagerfeld Prize will be announced.