SA celebrities who rocked Fulani braids (before Kim Kardashian)

If you’ve been on the internet in the last few days you will have noticed that Kim Kardashian-West managed to anger thousands of people after posing for a picture in her new hairstyle.

The TV star and businesswoman rocked Fulani braids in this latest image and claimed to have been inspired by Bo Derek, an American actress from the ’70s and ’80s.

The only problem is, Bo Derek didn’t invent the hairstyle. Women of colour have been wearing Fulani braids for years, and many of them are South African.

Here are just a few examples that Mrs Kardashian-West could have chosen to base her style on.

Khanyi Mbau

As we write this, Khanyi is showing off her own version of the popular hairstyle, although her braids are a little shorter than the ones Kim wore.

The beads match her outfit perfectly.

Ayanda Thabethe

Ayanda is widely regarded as one of the leaders of the ‘braid gang’. She claims this was “experimental”, but she pulled it off like a natural.

Amanda du-Pont

Amanda du-Pont’s Adidas photo shoots have given us life, but in this picture it’s all about the shoulder-length braids that were capped off with cute, clear beads.

Kelly Khumalo

Don’t let the headwrap distract you; Kelly looks as if she was made to wear Fulani braids every day of the week (and she looks mighty happy about it too!).

Nomzamo Mbatha

Nomzamo gave her braids a whole new look with this cute updo.

Blue Mbombo

It’s almost like this summer was the season for Fulani braids, and Blue duly obliged. The dark shade of brown perfectly complements her skin, while the beads gave the look some continental flair.

Minnie Dlamini

Minnie looks like Zulu royalty on just about every day of the week. Her Fulani braids, tied up in a bun in this picture, may as well have been her crown.

Bonang Matheba

For the longest time, Bonang has been associated with weaves. But even Queen B doesn’t mind switching it up. These braids suited Mo’ghel to the ground (almost literally considering how long they are!)

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