Themba Makamo from Katlehong, is the founder of VAYA footwear, a sneaker brand that was established with the primary purpose of encouraging ambitious people to go after their dreams.
Themba mentions that prior to the introduction of his sneakers, he assembled a team that researched about the development of the sneaker industry, and their exploration commenced in June 2020.
After gathering adequate information, they introduced VAYA footwear in November 2020. “We raised money for our first batch of sneakers through pre-orders and in February 2021 we finally started delivering VAYA sneakers to the public. We sold out the first bunch within a few weeks. I was grateful for that because I’m a sneakerhead and I’ve always seen sneakers as the best way of identifying or defining a character. I have always been a firm believer in people and I believe that everybody is born with a dream; our mission with this business is just to remind dreamers to never forget their dreams even when days are dark. Also, VAYA footwear is a brand that South Africans can relate to, a brand that will not only be known to encourage people to go for their dreams, but to feel empowered,” added Makamo.
When the newspaper asked the businessman what his challenges have been, he said that getting capital to start up the business was hard for him. However, till to date, he is thankful for his management team that helped him through it all. The businessman also added that the target market of the footwear is definitely middle-class South Africans who are career-driven and stylish.
“VAYA is a township slang meaning ‘go that is basically what we stand for and believe in. We’re all about greatness and encouragement. People relate to our brand. They love our designs, quality and comfort so we’re sure we’ll make it big someday. However, at the moment we’re too focused on strengthening the foundation of the brand before collaborating with other brands. This industry isn’t easy but when you have a dream and an action plan as to how you intend to scale the dream then everything gets better and the vision eventually gets clearer,” uttered Makamo.
By Palesa Ndinisa
