The playbook for Broke is centred on community, and it's a playbook that extends from design (with their cult-status streetwear brand) to music (with their in-house music production studio SpaceSounds) to their parties (tickets from their party division, Broke Klubhouse,  sell out within hours) to staging fashion shows (we hosted their first one in 2022) - the Broke Boys are always creating, always moving, and always making waves, and when one of their editorials or campaigns drops (for Vogue Italia, i-D or The New Originals) - the hype is unparalleled from South Africans online. In an era where trends seem to fade as quickly as they arrive, Broke remains relevant and ready to seize life from the tip of Africa,  and they’re taking everyone (with chilled vibes) along with them.

To understand the origin of Andile and BROKE’s cultural lore, it's vital to hone in on the title of ‘Pantsula’; a uniquely South African subcultural wave, which BROKE as a brand and movement intend to preserve for decades to come. Andile gives us a quick lesson on AmaPantsula, explaining as such “On one of the Kwaito music documentaries from the early 2000s (After Robot) Bonginkosi Dlamini AKA Zola described a Pantsula as ‘a ghetto proud person who dresses clean, who dresses in a typical ghetto style, AmaPantsula believe in money ,they believe in spreading ghetto love…if you touch one of them, you touch all of them’ To us, IsiPantsula has came a long way, and it’s one of the oldest standing subcultures in South Africa. It  has also evolved over the years. In the beginning, Amapantsula were closely associated with crime, and they carried knives and were seen as the thugs of the inner city in Joburg, and so they became the outcasts of society. We intend to carry the memory and lessons of their style forward into a new era, as BROKE.” Pantsula sartorial sensibilities are described by Andile as a commitment to being dressed in a way that is precise and intuitive, and bares the mark of pride in being South African, “What started with zoot & chalk striped suits with two tone formal shoes, is now being redefined with sneaker brands, and more streetwear - but the fit has to be clean. IsiPantsula is made up of different elements, it is not limited to the way of dressing or the style of dancing. To me, being a Pantsula is a form of expression and it has a lot to do with the way you carry yourself. IsiPantsula starts in your heart, it is a way of life. IsiPantsula is culture.

“BROKE is for the people, therefore it’s always people before profit or anything for that matter, so the key aspect to putting a BROKE hosted show/event is the experience itself, because we want you to be in awe when you first walk in and you to be in total disbelief when you leave, wondering how and when will we do our next one? Another key aspect is following the 2 core rules to all our shows i.e rule number 1 is to have fun, and rule number 2? Don’t forget rule number 1!” BROKE has been hugely responsible for reigniting the energy of Cape Town post-pandemic, and getting people back to the city in the pursuit of community and connection.