One of the largest annual fashion events in East Africa, Swahili Fashion Week was founded in 2008 by Tanzanian couturier Mustafa Hassanali, and is held annually in Dar es Salaam. Comprised of traditional runway shows, pop-up shops, trade shows, and new talent discovery initiatives, as well as other opportunities for knowledge building, it’s aimed at emphasizing to the region that fashion made in Africa can be a valuable income-generating creative industry.

A platform for discovering, encouraging, and promoting Mozambican fashion, Mozambique Fashion Week was founded in 2004 in Maputo, with the aim of placing the country on the radar of the international fashion community. The largest fashion event in the southern African nation, runway shows are the predominant attraction. MFW has also been known to host pop-ups and live performances, as well as panel discussions in the areas of culture, art, fashion, and entrepreneurship.

Founded in 2002 by Senegalese creative entrepreneur Adama Ndiaye, Dakar Fashion Week is one of the continent’s longest-running fashion weeks, and an event that strives to highlight the best of local design and celebrate Senegalese fashion and creativity. Underpinned by an embrace of Pan-Africanism that aims to counter the global stereotypes of the continent, the event has seen designers from across the continent presenting their collections.

Launched in 2006 by Nana Addo Tamakloe with the aim of establishing a world-class fashion week in Ghana, Accra Fashion Week is organized annually by fashion media and management outlet FashionGHANA. Held every October, AFW’s main objective, besides promoting designers from the continent, is to impart valuable business knowledge to the emerging who participate.