THE clothing brand, Spelete is growing to greater heights.
Spokesman Joska Mataozen said the brand aims to mend the South African economy.
The 34-year-old from Soshanguve in Tshwane said he always had his eyes on clothing lines, especially those that are made in Mzansi.
He said he aims to eradicate youth unemployment through entrepreneurship in the clothing and textile industry.
"We believe in creating world-class apparel and sneaker collections, creating sustainable jobs, and mending the pan-African entrepreneurial narrative. Eradicating youth unemployment is one of our goals in this industry," said Joska.
He said the brand was started by Johannes Mahlangu from Gamotla Village in the North West while he was traveling overseas importing clothing, shoes, and sneakers with the help of Thato Moloto and Itu Joy, among others.
"To date we have employed over 100 plus people. Spelete has six stores in the Pretoria CBD, Sunny Park in Pretoria, Menlyn Shopping Centre, Maponya Mall, Rustenburg and Middleburg," said Joska.
He said the number one lesson he has learned is that nothing beats hard work.
"Hard work outweighs talent and intelligence. This is one of the tools needed if you want to succeed," he said.
The businessman said no one can build an empire from scratch without putting in an incredible amount of hard work.
"This not only means working hard when things are going well, but working harder when things are not,” he said.
Joska said he also believes in investing in heavily in education.
"Investing in education for the sake of getting a degree will not pay off in the same way that investing in your passion will. Education is a lifelong process," he said.
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He said taking risks without weighing your options is foolish and reckless, however, calculated risks tend to lead to the biggest rewards.
"No matter what journey you take in life or where your professional goals take you, there are certain life lessons that you can always apply to your own path. It doesn't matter where you came from or where you are going, I've learnt these lessons can be universally applied to us all," he said.
Joska said he would like to give three pieces of advice for any young person who looks up to them.
"The highest honour on earth that you will ever have is being authentic to yourself. Your job is to get up and go and raise money and take care of your family. That’s an obligation that you have but your only true job as a human being is to discover why you are here,” he said.
He said that if you want to be successful, you must go all out.
"The key is not to worry about being successful but to instead work toward being significant and success will naturally follow. If you do work the work that you love, and the work that fulfils you, the rest will follow.
"When you shift your focus from success to service, your work will instantly have more meaning. You get in life what you have the courage to ask for. Keep re-inventing yourself, diversify yourself, and do not fear failure,” he added.
