SA has birthed a number of fashion trends and designers.

We see it in the vibrance of izikhothane as well as the risqué gender-bending styling choices from the queer community.

Many of these trends are often birthed from a sub-culture, a group of people who are often pushing back against the norm or subverting expectations.

Amabhinca, which has been synonymous with Zulu culture, is one people have certainly come across, whether frequenting traditional gatherings or your local taxi rank.

For Bafana Mthembu, a senior creative strategist at DNA Brand Architects, amabhinca is a subculture that he has grown up with and exalted from a young age.

Taking the time to buy the often pricey items associated with the style, Mthembu took to social media to post videos which have caught on like a wildfire.

Other than holding sentimental value and a token of his success, Mthembu’s spin on how to dress up the style is what has essentially turned heads on the internet. Especially when considering his uplifting view of what it means to be a modern Zulu man, or as he would put it, a “top-notch inkabi”.

“The word inkabi has always been associated with hitmen, which is the plain definition of what it is,” says Mthembu, who credits the taxi ranks he would often come across when commuting to and from Soweto.

“I get most of my influence from using taxis and communicating with the people and drivers there, so for me, and it is just for me, inkabi is an acronym that stands for Noord King and Bree Icons.

"They are the people who have had an influence on my life.”

The reimagining of what it means to be an inkabi or to dress in the amabhinca style can also be seen in a trope that has often been associated with these swanky individuals who sometimes carry guns.

When initially creating the videos, Mthembu opted to make his gun a remote control which quickly evolved to his secret style weapon – Tom Ford colognes.

“People have that perception that if you dress like this you need to own a gun but I don’t own a gun. I know we don’t live in a safe country but I don’t have a reason to go buy one,” Mthembu says.

“I was trying to change the perception that people who dress like this all own guns but for me my gun is how I smell.”

In previous videos, Mthembu has also substituted guns for imphepho (incense) which garnered him a lot of flak. Something he gets quite often for some of his videos.

While issues on the correct way to burn imphepho have often been addressed in his interactions with other social media users, Mthembu is often at the brunt of a linguistics war between Zulu folk who live in Durban or Johannesburg.

“A lot of people were reacting to my accent,” says Mthembu, who often delivers his videos in Zulu down to specific linguistic tropes.

“I have apologised for pronouncing some words wrong but that’s all because of my upbringing in Soweto, so my point of reference is going to be influenced by my surroundings.”

Appreciating the backlash as a form of preserving the culture, Mthembu has often encouraged being corrected as it has ultimately strengthened his love for his culture.

“There’s quite a lot of learning that comes with this content,” Mthembu says, mentioning the critiques he has got have also applied to other content creators.

“It has been a way for me to learn more about my culture. There are certain things I thought I was informed about but I was not and it’s not just me but other people.

"There’s a huge barrier in language where people say they are from a certain region and that’s how Zulu sounds and this tribalism divides people instead of being one community. It’s really not fair because we are all here to learn and no-one stops learning.”

While admitting to being shy about embracing the spotlight, Mthembu’s growing appeal has made him consider working with brands that align with his approach.

While he is comfortable as someone who is often behind the scenes, Mthembu is keen on expanding what he sees as a blessing in his life.​