Ugandan fashion icon Santa Anzo, founder of ARAPAPA and the Uganda International Fashion Week, has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the World Fashion Exhibition (WFE). The global honor celebrates her nearly three decades of transforming Uganda’s fashion industry through sustainability, women’s empowerment, and cultural preservation, values that reflect WFE’s mission, “Give Your Light to the World.”
Anzo has long been a pioneering force in Uganda’s creative sector. Through the Uganda International Fashion Week, she helped elevate the country’s fashion and modelling industries to international standards. Her brand ARAPAPA, which means “butterfly” in her Madi language, represents transformation, resilience, and African identity. Her work integrates indigenous fabrics, local craftsmanship, and eco-conscious design, positioning fashion as both cultural expression and a catalyst for economic growth.
Beyond her design achievements, Anzo has mentored hundreds of designers, models, and young entrepreneurs, promoting fashion as a driver of social and economic progress. She believes empowering individuals, especially women and youth, is essential to Africa’s development, contributing to job creation, dignity, cultural preservation, and inclusive growth.
In her new global role, Anzo will lead the “Give Your Light to the World Africa Now” campaign, a WFE initiative that highlights Africa’s creative excellence while addressing humanitarian needs. The campaign prioritizes women’s entrepreneurship in sustainable fashion, clean water access through air-to-water generators, improved education, and pathways to economic independence for women and children.
WFE CEO Paco De Jaimes praised Anzo’s leadership, compassion, and ability to inspire change in both fashion and society. As Goodwill Ambassador, she joins an international network of designers and changemakers committed to using fashion as a tool for social impact. She aims to amplify African craftsmanship on the world stage while advancing community-centered initiatives.
Anzo described the recognition as a call to empower women, nurture creativity, and build a sustainable future for the continent, noting that “Africa’s time is now.”
