South African fashion and football culture found themselves at the centre of a heated online debate this week, as Old School and Kasi Flavour became trending topics over striking similarities in their Bafana Bafana-inspired merchandise. The debate is taking place at a moment when national football sentiment is already heightened due to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

What initially appeared to be a conversation about design aesthetics quickly evolved into something deeper — touching on creative ownership, influence, access to capital, and South Africa’s enduring socio-economic fault lines. The discussion has been most visible on X (formerly Twitter), where opinions remain sharply divided.

How the Debate Started

Old School, a lifestyle apparel brand known for sport-inspired fashion, recently released a Bafana Bafana-inspired range that gained strong traction online. The collection’s retro feel and nostalgic, clean and proudly South African resonated with football fans and streetwear enthusiasts alike. The timing of the drop aligned with AFCON, when national pride and football nostalgia are at their peak amplified both visibility and scrutiny.

However, the campaign immediately drew comparisons to Kasi Flavour, a brand that made waves in 2023 for its vintage-styled football merchandise celebrating local football heritage.

Fuelling the debate were two key similarities repeatedly highlighted by social media users:

• The use of the same model, Primo Baloyi — a well-known influencer and son of Bafana Bafana legend Lucas Radebe — who had previously fronted Kasi Flavour campaigns.
• The same or very similar shoot locations, which many felt made the visual resemblance difficult to ignore.

For supporters of Kasi Flavour, these overlaps felt less like coincidence and more like replication.

The Sentiment on Social Media

On X, critics argued that Old School’s execution mirrored a creative lane that Kasi Flavour had already carved out. Some posts accused the brand of borrowing heavily from an aesthetic pioneered by a township-rooted brand, without sufficiently differentiating itself.

Others went further, questioning Primo Baloyi’s participation in both campaigns, suggesting that his involvement amplified the perception of imitation rather than inspiration.

At the same time, a strong counter-narrative emerged. Supporters of Old School argued that football nostalgia is not owned by any single brand, and that retro Bafana Bafana references are part of a shared national archive. From this perspective, similarities in styling or locations reflect common cultural touchpoints rather than creative theft.

A Broader Socio-Economic Lens

Beyond fashion and photography, many commentators framed the debate through a broader socio-economic context.

Online discussions have highlighted the contrast between:

• Old School, reportedly backed by well-resourced founders based in Stellenbosch, with access to capital, networks and production scale; and
• Kasi Flavour, a brand rooted in Alexandria township, built organically by a black entrepreneur drawing directly from township culture and lived experience.

For some, this contrast speaks less to intent and more to structural realities within South Africa’s creative economy — where ideas born in the township often struggle to scale, while similar concepts, when supported by stronger financial backing and distribution channels, can achieve rapid commercial visibility.

It is this historical imbalance not just the garments themselves that has intensified the emotional weight of the conversation.

Inspiration, Influence or Imitation?

The line between inspiration and imitation has always been thin in fashion, particularly in streetwear where trends are cyclical and references are shared.

Globally, football-inspired fashion has seen a resurgence, with vintage kits, retro fonts and heritage storytelling dominating collections from London to Lagos. South African brands are not immune to this wave.

The key question raised by this moment is not whether brands can explore the same cultural space — but how they do so.

• Is there enough differentiation in storytelling?
• Are original pioneers acknowledged, even informally?
• And do brands operating with greater power and resources carry a higher responsibility to be conscious of where ideas originate?

Why This Moment Matters

This debate reflects a larger truth about South African creativity: culture travels faster than credit.

Township culture has long influenced mainstream fashion, music and advertising are often without recognition or reward flowing back to its originators. As a result, sensitivities around ownership and acknowledgement are deeply rooted and understandable.

At the same time, South Africa’s fashion ecosystem benefits from competition, evolution and multiple interpretations of shared heritage. Gatekeeping cultural expression risks stifling creativity just as much as unchecked appropriation risks erasure.

A Call for Conscious Creativity

Perhaps the real opportunity in this moment lies not in choosing sides, but in raising the standard.

South African brands, especially those drawing from culturally loaded symbols like Bafana Bafana have an opportunity to:

• Be more intentional about credit and context
• Explore collaboration over competition
• Acknowledge influences without diminishing originality
• And build brands that uplift the broader creative ecosystem

Because in a country as layered as South Africa, fashion is never just fashion. It is history, memory, aspiration — and power.