MAMI WATA Unveil Something New Out of Africa

Blame the surf industry for pumping out images of fair-skinned and preppy-looking surfers. Andy Davis, co-founder of South African surf brand Mami Wata, assures us that you’ll find a much more diverse story on his country’s beaches, yet this difference is not represented in the industry’s advertising. Which is why the brand’s debut spot, Woza (below), which aired in 2017, consciously challenged stereotypes with rising surf star Avuyile Ndamase as brand ambassador. “Having a black surfer was crucial to telling the story of African surfing,” says Davis. And presenting the African surf identity was integral to the campaign, which also tried to shine a more positive spotlight on a country plagued by bad press. “The stories … that come out of Africa are so negative and so destructive, so full of fear,” says Davis. “Sometimes the good things are forgotten: like our unspoilt natural environment.” 

But Woza doesn’t just have a strong message to convey, it is also strongly crafted, earning – among many accolades – a silver YDA and a bronze Lion for Film Craft (Direction) at this year’s Cannes Lions festival.  

Headquartered in Cape Town, Mami Wata was founded by Davis, Nick Dutton and Peet Pienaar, a team that combines widely differing skillsets, to create a strategically robust brand. They do, however, have some things in common, according to Davis, having all come to Mami Wata late in their careers after going through the school of hard knocks, learning from their failures as much as their successes. 

Davis, who is based in Durban, was the matchmaker of the trio, introducing Pienaar (stationed in Mexico City) to Dutton, an ex-ad man with stints at Grey London, AMV BBDO and Arnold on his CV. Davis’s background is in editorial, writing for various surf and political magazines. Davis and Dutton, pals from university, started brainstorming the idea for Mami Wata – fuelled by their love of surf and Africa – two years ago. They brought Pienaar on board as the brand’s creative director. Davis had worked with the designer at various magazines and admired his “wild creative spirit” and “uninfluenceable” style. “He’s very avant-garde and very African,” says Davis; perfect for setting the brand’s aesthetic.

Mother of the brand

Mami Wata is the name of an African water deity, a mermaid-like creature whose name literally translates to “Mother Water”, and who appears in tales told by West African seafarers and fishermen. “If you’re fishing in a storm, you would pray to Mami Wata to look after you,” says Davis. “She can be good and bad. She could drown you and take you as her lover – because she’s got a strong female energy that you can’t fight. But if she looks after you and she’s benevolent to you and you survive, you come back more spiritually connected, more successful and better looking. There’s this idea that if Mami Wata takes you, life gets better.” 

Playing with this fabulous tale forms the basis of the brand’s creativity, as seen in a short story (illustrated with a brand photoshoot) in South African creative culture magazine The Lake, and the brand’s regular newsletter, Them Say Them Say, as well as in Woza. Pienaar conceptualised and art-directed the spot, sourcing the props, arranging the fixers and compiling the research. He assimilated a huge amount of content and many of those involved were willing to participate “out of love for Peet and his creative vision”, says Davis. “Many refused payment. They preferred us to put our budget into flight tickets and camera equipment instead, to pull the production together.”

Pato Martinez and Francisco Canton, part of Argentinian directing collective Pantera, shot the spot in Durban and Mozambique, inspired by what they saw, rather than sticking to a strict brief. Pienaar was very particular about using non-South African filmmakers who had never been to the country and weren’t surf directors, in order to capture an outsider’s perspective. Pienaar was impressed by the directing duo’s fearlessness and curiosity: “When they are running around with cameras and stuff, there’s no fear. They were willing to get into racing cars and stand in front of dangerous situations to shoot, which is incredible. Sometimes you get directors who are quite scared and overly careful and don’t really give it 100 per cent. For me, getting these incredible shots was very important.”  

Although recognition brings with it a certain creative pressure, Pienaar is confident about the brand’s future and is already planning the next spot. “Our next film is about diamond divers in Namibia who also surf – they dive for diamonds all day and they surf in their time off. Fundamentally it’s a story about people trying to find money and fulfil their dreams. Surfing is the calm in the chaos of lost dreams.” 

“If you’re fishing in a storm, you would pray to Mami Wata to look after you. She can be good and bad. She could drown you and take you as her lover – because she’s got a strong female energy that you can’t fight.”

Set in the desert, the spot sounds mythical and surreal, almost dream-like. It’s a world apart from the usual fare from their competitors. But then, compared to other surf brands with their California-inspired beachwear, Mami Wata prides itself on a very different look: primary colours and bold patterns, tapping into the style and spirit of the local surf community. 

As Mami Wata looks for investment to allow the brand to evolve further, Davis quotes Pliny the Elder, “There’s always something new coming out of Africa,” implying that there’s no end to the sources of inspiration for this ground- (or should that be wave?) breaking brand.