Lerato Kganyago Ndlala served as one of the main hosts of the 2026 Metro FM Music Awards, held at the ICC Arena in Durban in late April. She co-hosted the show alongside adored media personality Lawrence Maleka.
Although the guests’ red carpet looks dominated headlines over the weekend, Lerato delivered multiple show-stopping looks throughout the event.
The looks were all created in collaboration with the same core creative team.
Decoding Lerato’s MMA26 style
All her featured looks were designed by Gert-Johan Coetzee, a celebrated South African designer known for dramatic silhouettes, intricate embellishments, and a blend of modern glamour with heritage-inspired and thematic elements.
Her stylist was Siyamthanda Ndube (@siya_weloveher), who handled the overall curation and execution of the outfits.
Hair was styled previously, with additional hair work/ provision by The San Hair. A Durban-based makeup artist named Nombuso did her makeup while she accessorised the looks with pieces by JoZEEst, an afro-luxury brand that provides bespoke ceremonial headpieces and curated crystal jewellery.
Photography credits across posts were attributed to the official Metro FM digital content producer, TK Matakanye.
Pageant poise brought to life
The team created cohesive yet varied looks that positioned Lerato as a commanding, glamorous host. Each look incorporated themes of power, femininity, and cultural elegance.
Mother | The orange/terracotta vibe: Captioned simply “M O T H E R #MMA26”, her final look was a bold, confident ensemble with feathers in warm orange tones and scarlet stones across the bosom. Because the look was so striking, her team paired it with a simple straight wig, parted down the middle.
A moment | The viral dark green bubble vibe: This green ensemble went viral, and while viewers initially fell in love with it for its elegant, striking colour, they praised the drama of the high-glamour dress after seeing behind-the-scenes footage of several people helping her disembark the stage while holding up all the little bubbles as she rushed backstage to change into her next outfit.
Indoni Yamanzi | The Ocean Queen look: Explicitly themed around water and mermaid energy (“Indoni Yamanzi” translates roughly to a water-related beauty or princess figure in isiZulu cultural contexts). This look featured shimmering, scale-like detailing in a sculpted mermaid gown silhouette, evoking an ocean queen with intricate, aquatic-inspired embellishments. It blended ethereal fantasy with high-fashion drama.
On arrival | ‘Isithandwa saseThekwini sesi’fikile’: Her opening look was a bold crimson statement dress featuring sheer panelling across her iconic bust, sculpted detailing, and dramatic feathered accents with some muted stoning.
The signature GJC silhouette: Perhaps her most talked-about look was the striking black gown with intricate shell-like embellishments, cascading beadwork, a structured bodice, dramatic neckline, statement headpiece, and a daring thigh-high slit.
Overall, she carried each look with the poise she picked up on the pageant circuit while offering some thematic storytelling through the dramatic silhouettes, rich colours and luxurious textures curated by her creative team.
