Nike T-Shirt

Local Artist to Design Nike T-shirt

When Nike and the Homeless World Cup commissed the artwork of ex-Big Issue Vendor Ntsikelelo Fiyane, for the Limited Edition Nike Homeless World Cup T-shirt in Cape Town this year, it signalled the beginning of his deserved success writes Kathrin Leimner.

Saturday 29 July 2006 was a star studded Gala night in Cape Town when the countdown to the 4th Homeless World Cup was launched to an audience that included Western Cape premier, Ebrahim Rasool, soccer stars Lucas Radebe and Mark Fish, Nike athlete Mark Williams, as well as former Springbok, Robbie Fleck.  Ntsikelelo was also present to see his original soccer player figurine made out of rubber go for auction to raise funds for his future.  The very same figurine that had just been commissioned for the front of this year’s limited edition Nike Homleess World Cup T-shirt.  

The final auction price put up by ABSA was a staggering 20,000 Rand, which Mark Fish and Lukas Radebe then generously announed they would make up to 30,000 Rand. Quite a night, quite a year, for Ntskelelo.

Ntsikelelo explains his life-long fascination with the arts was nurtured at school. “Anything which had to be drawn on the blackboard in school...I was the one in charge of that,” he says.  He tried to sell some of his paintings and ran a small shop at a market in Cape Town, but did not get the response he wanted. Desperate for cash, two of his friends introduced him to The Big Issue magazine and he became a vendor, selling in Camps Bay. “I was trying my best and knowing the Homeless World Cup was coming up, I wanted to contribute. But, I can´t play soccer, I´m an artist,“ he said.  "I found a piece of rubber on the street and I started thinking what I could do with it.“  It was soon to be transformed into his soccer man figurine which was admired by the Big Issue staff, photographed and published in the magazine before being commissed and reproduced for the Limited Edition Homeless World Cup 06 Nike T-shirt.  „I was waiting for this moment.. I put my heart in my work,“ the enthusiastic, handsome man said. He said he has found a niche for his talents as a blacksmith, and is busy working on more figures which he plans to sell at the event.  We all wish him every continued success for his future.

The Limited Edition Nike Homeless World Cup T-shirt designed by Ntsikelelo is available in all sizes at the Homeless World Cup. R50.