South African Fashion Did Not Come to Play at Durban July 2025, Here are the Best Dressed Celebrities from the Night of Wonder

If there’s one thing South Africans know how to do, it’s show up and show out—and the 2025 Hollywoodbets Durban July proved exactly that. The annual horse racing event once again transformed into the country’s most glamorous fashion spectacle, where heritage met haute couture in the boldest, most creative ways.

This year’s theme, Marvels of Mzansi, invited guests to celebrate symbols of South African identity through fashion—and from dramatic feathers to textured earth-toned gowns, they delivered. Whether inspired by the elegance of the Blue Crane or the majestic baobab tree, celebrities, stylists, and creatives turned the racetrack into a runway of cultural pride and style excellence.

Here are some of the standout names who lit up the fashion scene:

• Mbali Nkosi

• Honour Zuma

• Sithelo Shozi

• Happy Simelane

• Khutso Theledi

• Ntombi Mbele

• Zara Abrahams

• Thando Thabethe

• Rich Monalisa

With each outfit, this year’s Durban July reminded us that South African fashion is more than just beautiful—it’s expressive, rooted, and always evolving. From statement headpieces to structured gowns that told stories of the land, these stars proved once again that style in Mzansi is nothing short of iconic.