BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE – If you are familiar with the Ralph Lauren story, you would know that it only took him attending one polo match to come up with the most celebrated high-quality clothing brand.
He might not be there yet, but with the support of EmaSwati Wandile Wara-blade Makhanya from Kupheleni, he can one day share his success story of how he started selling his brand from door to door.
He shared with this publication that the name of his clothing brand is OkCooL. According to Makhanya, the name makes it suitable for everyone. That’s because everybody deserves to be “ok” and stay “cool.”
Makhanya introduced his clothing brand in 2020. He has so far sold a couple of products. When reached for comment, he said, I’m selling casual and formal clothes to everyone, male or female, young or old. At the moment, I’m working as a hawker, moving town to town, trying to promote it, so if anyone is willing to purchase, I’m available on Facebook as Wandile Wara-blade Makhanya, or you can even give me a call at 79116524 or WhatsApp me at 78125154.”
The young entrepreneur has worked with OnPoint Branding, located in Mbabane, and with Brand Master, located in Manzini.
“So far, I haven’t approached any shops; that is because, as of now, I’m working as a hawker and the business is still in the developing stage. Locally, the clothing business is a bit challenging when it’s still in the developing stage because people are still not used to the brand, but once they are used to it, I believe everything will be smooth.,” shared Makhanya.
He lamented the fact that the market is dominated by big names like Polo, Nike, Adidas, etc., which makes it challenging to get into the industry and have a good market share. As an individual, one has to work tirelessly to gain customers. The marketing skills have to be very good.
Makhanya shared with this publication that he is also a hip-hop artist. “I’m in the entertainment industry, doing music in the hip-hop category, but I’m also available to do physical work.”
When asked if he has approached the local lifestly festivals, namely the Makoti Festival and the Standard Bank Luju Food and Lifestyle Festival, to put up a stall for his brand, he said, “I haven’t made any contact with them, but this year I’m willing to do my best to have a stall in one of the two at least.”
He concluded by saying, “I’d kindly ask for emaSwati to support the “OkCooL” brand. I promise that its growth is going to be beneficial to the entire country, as we all know that we are faced by a huge challenge, which is unemployment.”
