When one thinks of surfing, typical visuals that come to mind include California beaches, tanned bodies, long, flowing hair and other general stereotypes of the western culture.
However, Mami Wata is a surfing and accessories company founded in 2017 that’s focused on promoting “the power of African surf.”
Originally formed in Cape Town, South Africa, Mami Wata aims to publicise surfing on the African continent and the sub-culture that’s forming on the continent’s beaches.
Co-founder Nick Dutton told CNN: “Mami Wata is the sea spirit,” Dutton explained. “People who believe in her believe if you go into the ocean and she takes you to be her lover and you survive, you’ll come back and be better looking and more successful. That story of transformation and the impact and power of nature for us was very powerful. We feel it captures the story of African surf.”
