By Stephen Manzini

A delegate from South African will be at the upcoming BRICS+ Fashion Summit, a major international platform shaping the future of the global fashion industry, taking place in Moscow, Russia, from Thursday, August 28 to 30, 2025.

The delegation includes Stephen Manzini, Founder and CEO of Soweto Fashion Week & SA Fashion Association; Vusi Ngobeni, Head of Design at National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture; Tinyiko Baloyi, Lecturer at University of Johannesburg. Leaders from fashion associations, textile and manufacturing companies, industry experts, designers, and buyers from more than 60 countries will gather for the event.

Over the past three years, the BRICS+ Fashion Summit has showcased emerging fashion industries from more than 90 countries, amid the rapid expansion of Moscow’s own fashion sector. From Brazil and Ecuador to the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, South Africa, India, and China, this vibrant platform encourages meaningful collaboration among designers and fashion associations from a variety of geographical locations, opening up new growth prospects and strengthening global alliances. Moscow’s role continues to evolve as both a thriving creative economy and a pivotal player on the global fashion stage.

The Summit’s Business Program will focus on key strategic themes such as sustainable production, creativity and innovation, professional education, expansion of international trade relations, and the challenges faced by BRICS+ nations and the wider global community.

Members of the delegation will share key insights and bring extensive expertise to the Summit. Their participation highlights the Summit’s commitment to fostering long-term cooperation, cultural exchange, and empowering talented local brands from emerging regions.

“For Africa and other emerging economies, collaboration in the fashion sector is vital. It allows us to share resources, open new markets, and amplify our cultural narratives on a global stage. By working together, we strengthen our position in the global value chain, reduce reliance on traditional fashion capitals, and promote trade within the Global South.

Fashion becomes more than just clothing it becomes a tool for economic empowerment, cultural exchange, and storytelling. Through platforms like BRICS+ Fashion Summit, we can showcase the richness of African design while forging partnerships that drive sustainable growth across our industries,” shares Stephen Manzini.

Alongside the BRICS+ Fashion Summit, all eyes will be on Moscow Fashion Week, running from August 28 to September 2. The event will feature Russian designers alongside brands from 10 countries – including Brazil, China, India, and Spain. In addition, South African designer David Tlale will present his collection at Moscow Fashion Week. This diverse lineup shows that we’re witnessing the rise of a new multicultural fashion community in the heart of Russia.

Stephen Manzini is the founder and CEO of Soweto Fashion Week & SA Fashion Association

By Adedapo Adesanya

Spotify has introduced a direct messaging feature that allows users to share music, podcast, and audiobook recommendations with other people without leaving the app.

The feature known as Messages is rolling out in “select markets” this week, according to a statement from Spotify on Tuesday, adding that it will be available on mobile devices for Free and Premium users aged 16 years and older.

The messaging feature can be accessed by tapping the share icon when listening to a song, podcast, or audiobook in the Now Playing view, and selecting a friend to send it to.

Spotify users can share content and start messages with people they share a Spotify plan with, or other users they’ve interacted with through Spotify before, such as via Jams, Blends, and Collaborative Playlists.

The feature aims to consolidate content recommendations that already happen over texts, social media, and third-party messaging services into a single location where Spotify users can more easily track their shared content. Any audio content shared with or by the user will be stored in the Messages inbox that’s accessed under the profile picture in the top-left corner of the app, making it easier to find again in the future.

Spotify says the user-to-user messages are 1:1, support text conversations and emoji reactions, and are protected by “industry-standard encryption” — which will hopefully prevent any embarrassing data leaks.

Users can also report any shared content and text messages, or the account that sent them, by holding down on the message to flag anything nefarious. Spotify says it will proactively scan Messages for “certain unlawful and harmful content” and review chats that get reported by users.

Spotify says that Messages was created to “complement” how content is shared through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and TikTok, rather than replace those interactions.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A new all-in-one insights platform, TikTok for Artists, has launched in Nigeria to provide artists, their labels, and their teams with the data and tools needed to better understand their music performance, audience, and fan engagement on TikTok.

The introduction of the platform to the Nigerian market followed its global debut earlier this year. It reaffirms TikTok’s investment in the African music industry, supporting the region’s thriving creative community with tools that empower them to build sustainable, global careers.

TikTok for Artists helps users to promote their work and drive success both on and off the platform because its daily-updated dashboards and comprehensive analytics give unprecedented access to transparent, actionable data providing insights on how music and content is performing, and how fans are interacting with it.

The platform is available now for all artists with a certified TikTok Artist Account. Artists can also grant access to their managers and label teams, ensuring that the right people have the insights they need to plan effective campaigns.

With TikTok for Artists, entertainers have access to a comprehensive suite of features designed to provide them and their teams with transparent, actionable data. It delivers detailed song performance insights, including views, posts, and creator engagements per track, along with granular post performance metrics that cover views, likes, comments, shares, and post completion rates. The platform also provides valuable follower insights, offering a demographic breakdown of the audience by gender, age, and language.

Beyond analytics, TikTok for Artists provides a wealth of educational resources, including step-by-step guides to the platform’s tools and features, as well as support and resources designed to help artists build a sustainable, long-term music career.

The platform also officially introduces the Pre-Release tool, enabling artists to create campaigns for upcoming albums and allowing fans to pre-save directly to their preferred streaming platform, such as Spotify or Apple Music.

“TikTok for Artists is a game changer. It has so much information about my music, my followers, and how they’re using my songs in their posts. And it’s brilliant that I can give access to my team, who can also use the data to help us plan our campaigns,” a British artist, Jordan Adetunji, said.

Also commenting, the Head of Music Partnerships for UK, Ireland, and SSA at TikTok, Toyin Mustapha, said, “TikTok has always been a key space for music discovery and promotion across Africa.

“With the launch of TikTok for Artists in Nigeria, we’re giving artists and their teams access to insights that can help them engage their fans in more meaningful ways and grow their careers globally. This platform is about putting powerful, transparent data in the hands of creators so they can make smarter decisions and connect with the global TikTok community.”