Two young men from Imizamo Yethu are capturing the imagination of their peers with a clothing range that seeks to encapsulate the energy and enthusiasm of Hout Bay youth.
The “Hout Bay Native” brand was born in September last year, and in only a few short months more than 300 items have been ordered from the entrepreneurial pair of Msindisi Tatsi and Solomzi Nguqu.
Thanks to marketing efforts on social media, word of the branded T-shirts, dresses and caps has spread quickly, with orders now coming in from as far afield as Lower Crossroads and Khayelitsha.
“This all started last year,” Mr Tatsi, 24, said.
“I had a dream to make these T-shirts, something that was for Hout Bay. I spoke to my friend Solomzi, and it was quite funny because he had exactly the same idea.”
With no formal education in the fashion industry, the men sat down to conceptualise designs that would resonate with younger people.
“Solomzi is a DJ here in Hout Bay, so I came up with the cartoon earphones design.
“A lot of youngsters here are doing music, especially hip hop or spaza, as we call it. So it made sense to do this design.”
Having secured clothing manufacturers and printers in Woodstock and Claremont and advertising the range on Facebook, it was not long before the first orders were placed.
“At the moment we have received more orders from girls, although we do have male customers as well. I think people are very proud of the fact that they are from Hout Bay, and want to show that off.”
Though their current target market is young people from Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg,
Mr Tatsi wants to grow the brand so that it will resonate with people from all over Hout Bay, regardless of age or background.
“We have day jobs, so we are doing this after hours, but we aim to make this a full-time profession in the next three or four years.
“Our immediate goal is to raise enough money so we can buy our own equipment and open an office in Hout Bay. We want this to be a Hout Bay brand that people will be proud to support.”
Once this has been achieved, Mr Tatsi hopes that the products would be sold at shops around Cape Town and ultimately, in the rest of the country.
For more information, contact Mr Tatsi on 083 685 9507 or msindisi1992@gmail.com
