Africa is a continent of extraordinary diversity. The continent of 55 countries is home to more than 2000 languages, over 3000 ethnic groups, and… a single shade of nude?

With all the shades and tones of melanin-rich women walking the African continent – who make up roughly half of the continent’s 1.3 billion population – you’d think that finding affordable, accessible skin-coloured underwear for brown-skinned women would be a breeze. Not so much.

For a long time, ‘nude’ underwear, even in Africa, has catered almost exclusively to fairer skin tones. Historically, if you perused the racks of mainstream retailers, you’d find a variety of beige or peachy ‘nudes’ – but rarely (if ever) a range of skin-toned options for black and brown women. As a result, women of colour have had to resort to imaginative ways to wear sheer or white fabrics. This is what Gugu Nkabinde discovered in a conversation with colleagues and friends about how to ‘layer like a pro’ so that their underwear didn’t show through their shirts.

The first step

Following this mildly entertaining yet frustrating conversation, Nkabinde went on a mission to find nude underwear for brown-skinned women. She finally came upon an overseas brand – but at almost $200) for a single underwear set (including all of the customs charges), this wasn’t a long-term option for her – or a viable one for many women in South Africa or across the continent. 

So, being a strategist and seasoned marketer, she undertook research to start her own underwear line that would cater to a variety of African skin tones, without the added admin or cost of international customs. Driven by an impassioned indignance – “If I can match my make-up to my skin, why can’t I match my underwear?” – Nkabinde hunted for the right dyes, sourced the right fabrics, and started producing her own line of seamless, comfortable luxury garments. In so doing, Nkabinde has ignited a confidence movement for all women. 

Challenging the status quo

Gugu Intimates launched in April 2017 with a mission to ‘adorn brown-skinned girls in beautiful, premium quality underwear that complements your skin tone no matter what shade you are.’ This is clearly not just about fashion; this is about challenging conventional Western standards of beauty and empowering women of colour by helping them feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. 

This comes through not just in their growing range of shades designed to fit a broader range of differently-shaped and -sized women, but also in how each shade is named. The names for Gugu Intimates’ various shades of underwear all translate to ‘beauty’ in different African languages: Elewa (Yoruba), Amara (Arabic), Buhle (Zulu, Ndebele, and Xhosa), Zuri (Swahili), and Runako (Shona).

Nkabinde is determined, however, that this is only the beginning. She and her team have grand ambitions to expand the range across even more shades, more sizes, and better fits that represent and serve a wider audience.

Where to, next?

While Gugu Intimates has already become immensely popular – with distribution through partner stores across South Africa, in Zimbabwe, and the States – Nkabinde doesn’t yet believe it is a ‘success’. For her, the brand will be successful when women worldwide can say: I’ve found my nude, for my size, with the right fit and support for my needs.

To realise this vision, Nkabinde has started exploring a few avenues.

She is looking to expand the Gugu Intimates range to include shapewear, maternity wear, and swimwear – meeting the fit, form, function, and, of course, fashion requirements of women all over. 

She’s also hoping to partner with local suppliers to have everything produced in South Africa, making her products more readily available and accessible to an African market. Once local production is possible, the goal is to offer underwear that is customised to individual skin tones – so that anybody can have a shade crafted, and even named, specifically for them.

Nkabinde is also hoping to develop unique lines in partnership with retailers who speak to the same audiences as Gugu Intimates with the same message: you are beautiful in your skin, no matter your size, shape, or colour. She’s already got some ideas in the pipeline for 2021 – watch this space!

David Blyth is founder of Delta Victor Bravo, eatbigfish’s representative in Africa.