“39 Love Letters to the Continent”: Woman Recreates African Countries Through Makeup and Fashion

“39 Love Letters to the Continent”: Woman Recreates African Countries Through Makeup and Fashion

  • SA creator shows love for Africa through a massive beauty project featuring dozens of bold, culture-inspired looks
  • Mzansi can’t get enough of Colour Me Simphiwe’s creative tribute celebrating the continent in a fresh way
  • Viewers connect in the comments as the viral series sparks pride, reactions, and country shout-outs

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SA woman recreates 39 African countries through makeup
Simphiwe has recreated 39 African countries, including South Africa, through makeup. Image: @Colour Me Simphiwe
Source: Facebook

A South African woman has captured the hearts of social media users after transforming herself into dozens of beauty looks inspired by African countries. Many praised her creativity and dedication to celebrating the continent.

Content creator Colour Me Simphiwe shared a Facebook video on 02 June 2026, showing the first instalment of a project where she used makeup, hairstyles, headwear, and jewellery to represent African nations, including Lesotho, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. The creator revealed that the series features 39 of Africa's 54 countries, with each look designed to honour the continent's unique cultures and identities. Simphiwe shared:

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"39 flags later, and all I can think about is how beautiful Africa has always been. This series was created through the eyes of a South African girl who wanted to celebrate home in the loudest way she knew how."
SA woman recreates 39 African countries through makeup
Other countries included Botswana, DR Congo, Rwanda and Lesotho. Image: @Colour Me Simphiwe
Source: Facebook

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The creator also reflected on Africa's influence on global culture, and said the project was her way of putting the spotlight back on the continent. writing:

"Because Africa has never lacked beauty, never lacked colour, and never lacked greatness. The world has always taken pieces of us and called them art, fashion, luxury, culture. So I thought… why not celebrate us first? 39 flags. 39 love letters to the continent that raised me."

View the Facebook video below:

Mzansi shows love for the creative challenge

The video quickly gained attention online, with viewers applauding the effort that went into creating almost 40 country-inspired looks. Many commenters proudly mentioned their home countries, while others praised Simphiwe for finding a unique way to showcase Africa's diversity and beauty. This is what Mzansi said on her page:

Sasha Mbodza said:

"I took back my reaction, because you decided to put Zambian in part 2, so it’s the one I’ll react to."

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Edna Jongolo asked:

"Why did Angola pass so fast?"

Mbali Buyile Dakile wrote:

"I can imagine the pain of wiping off this beautiful work."

Gcinangaye Dube-Kunene stated:

"Team Swaziland"

Sarah Saratjie exclaimed:

"Team NAMIBIA"

Mabongi KaLinda Mkhonto Zwane shared:

"Kenya, Algeria, and SA of course ate plz what do mean."

Zola Khasi praised:

"Wow!! How long does it take to do this? This is true artistry. Thank you for sharing it with us."

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Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tendani Mungoni avatar

Tendani Mungoni Tendani Mungoni is a Human Interest Writer at Briefly News. (joined in April 2026) She is a Film and Television graduate from the University of the Witwatersrand (2020). She began her journalism career as a Multimedia Journalist at Media24’s YOU Magazine. She was a Writer at TheSoul Publishing and Music in Africa. To reach her, contact: tendani.mungoni@briefly.co.za.