It's the gift that keeps on giving - the business of footwear in South Africa.
Sneaker brands are growing so fast that they are opening store after store and some even have their own warehouses.
There isn't a shortage of footwear companies and customers in the country.
Now Vaya Footwear has opened a new store at Thavhani Mall in Thohoyandou Limpopo recently, expanding their reach and quite possibly their revenue.
Founder and CEO of this sneaker brand, Themba Makamo tells us about the work this required and what he hopes this move will yield.
“We’ve received a lot of support from Venda and there were requests from those who wanted to touch and feel the brand. Naturally we decided to listen to our customers,” the 37-year-old father of two from Katlehong explains.
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The enterprising owner, who now resides in Boksburg, has been looking to keep his brand fresh and relevant as this is so essential when pedaling street wear.
Earlier this year Vaya rebranded and introduced a logo along with new colours.
“This store is the first one with the new branding. We are a South African brand that is also fond of the different cultural traditions of the country, and as a result we used a lot of Venda traditional colour palettes in the new design.”
Consumers can expect an experience that will stimulate the senses through the visual presentation and layout of the store, “but more importantly we strive to give the best customer service and value for money,” Themba promises.
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The store will also differ from the ones that came before as it incorporates social media elements in the shop with a social media area where customers can post pictures rocking their new gear.
“We’ve also designed the store to be Instagrammable, meaning visually it inspires you to capture the memory of shopping with us.”
This move by Vaya is to bolster the economy of Thohoyandou.
“The first important engagement for us is the creation of job opportunities for the community and partnering with local businesses in the supply chain.
“We’ve received a lot of support from the province, and we are planning on opening more stores which will create more job opportunities. And that is the most exciting part of our growth and expansion plan in the region.”
Themba is certain that the more areas his brand reaches the greater the impact of his brand’s mission which he says is to inspire others to go for it.
“We are committed in helping others achieve their goals through partnerships and community initiatives.”
