SINCE 1998, South Africans have been encouraged to buy local products. Proud South Africa was founded in 2001 due to the 1998 Presidential Jobs Summit organized by Nelson Mandela to support local spending campaigns. The challenge, however, is that for some products, almost nothing can be bought from South Africa.
Meet young South African entrepreneurs who make it possible to buy South African sneakers, luxury leather bags, and fashionable clothes that celebrate local culture. These young entrepreneurs include Inga Gubeka, Theo Baloy, and Laduma Nghokolo.
Inga Gubeka’s tweet response has been overwhelming. He once wrote: “I am just a boy from the village of Engkeleni (Tanjung Timur) with a dream that one time my name will be recognized internationally as one of the best brands for luxury leather goods from Africa. Look at this room. .. And here I have I started in 2018.”
Gubeka has finally sold out its entire line of luxury leather bags. As a result, South Africans finally have an alternative to French and Italian luxury leather bags. Gubeka is described as a boy who became up in a week and marginalized village in the Eastern Cape on the Inga Atelier product website. People who live beneath the need line are not exposed to more delicate things. He described him as a man who grew up with a wire car, a small mud cow, and a house.
Its history is similar to that of many other young South Africans but has grown beyond those conditions to create products that deserve national recognition. Gubeka is not alone. It’s part of an informal club of South African youth who eventually developed products that South Africans could buy instead of buying European and American products that meant nothing to them.
Another member of the local youth entrepreneur group is Baloy. He is the young man behind Bahu, the sneakers brand named one of Africa’s most respected brands by Brand Africa in 2021. Baloi says that he realized something was missing during his travels – a brand of African sneakers that depicted a true story of Africa.
This motivated him to begin his own business. The rest is history, as the saying goes, and today South Africans can at least listen to South Africa’s proud reputation with their range of sneakers. The Unofficial Young Entrepreneurs Club also features award-winning designers, entrepreneurs, and other creative artists taking authentic South African fashion to a new level – Ngxokolo, founder of the MaXhosa brand.