When is a shoe not a shoe? When it’s a sneaker, of course. That’s because what should be the ultimate in functional footwear is actually a statement about your music, your mates, where you come from and where you’re going.
That’s especially true in South Africa, where a sneaker is a declaration of national pride — so much so, in fact, that sneakerheads would far prefer to rock a pair from Drip, Bathu or Vaya than the latest adidas.
Need proof? Consider that in March this year, Bathu was named the most admired brand in South Africa for the second time, according to a survey by Brand Africa. The shoes also made it to the number 52 slot on the 100 Most Admired Brands in Africa.
This local loyalty has come about because homegrown sneaker brands tell a story that resonates with South Africans, according to Vaya’s Themba Makamo. Let’s look at Bathu once more: the name itself means “kasi” — an immediate signifier of relevance for a market hungry for its own identity. Founder Theo Baloyi grew up in Hammanskraal before moving to Alex, while Makamo is from Katlehong and Drip’s founder, Lekau Sehoana, is originally from a village in Limpopo — so they have more in common with us than Michael Jordan, even if he is more or less responsible for the sneaker revolution.
There’s no doubt that South Africans find Lekau’s recollection of relying on his primary school’s feeding scheme more relatable than, say, the basketball culture that’s so strongly associated with Nike. “Today’s youth, and especially township youth, are looking for stories that inspire them; something they can look at and say: ‘That’s mine,’” Makamo says.
He maintains that national pride is one of the key factors driving the popularity of local brands. “Our interest in local fashion started with the likes of Sun Goddess and gradually evolved into high end labels like Rich Mnisi and MaXhosa. They really paved the way for sneaker brands,” he says.
The push to love everything local during the Covid pandemic also helped — remember all those campaigns to support your neighbourhood retailers and to buy South African wherever possible? But, as with everything in the 21st century, the role of social media can’t be ignored. Makamo says he knows of many designers and entrepreneurs who are eager to introduce their own brands, but don’t have the marketing budget to buy the reach achieved by billboards or TV advertising. Lucky for them, when your product has the potential to go viral on Instagram, budgets become less important.
That’s what Sehoana found when he launched Drip. By the time he designed his first sneaker, his family had already grown weary of his ventures into entrepreneurship: the feeling was this was a make or break initiative.
Having dabbled in design as a youngster, he found it fairly easy to collaborate with a Chinese manufacturer on a prototype especially suited to the South African market (features like light soles to accommodate all the walking South Africans do), then posted a snap along with the story of his beginnings. That was enough to get him featured on Sneaker Friday, a programme about shoes and their designers, and the orders started rolling in.
A particularly heartwarming footnote to this story is that Sehoana didn’t have the funds to manufacture the shoes on order, so he asked a friend in IT to build him a website where customers could pre-order, giving him the money to pay for the manufacture of 1,200 sneakers in red and yellow as well as shipping and distribution (the friend was paid in kind — one of the protocol pairs Sehoana had in hand was, luckily, in his girlfriend’s size). From there, his business has grown sufficiently to transform him into a millionaire; plus, he’s branched out from standard sneakers into activewear, and Drip is now available in certain Woolies and Crosstrainer stores.
While it’s unarguably a fantastic story, not even the most ardent patriot will continue supporting a local brand if there isn’t a compelling reason to do so. Because as much as some brands can go head to head with international names, there are dozens that have sunk into obscurity.
According to Makamo, anyone with enough money to pay for a minimum order can purchase a prototype, apply their own branding and hope for the best — and the fact that local brands are doing so well is an enormous incentive for hopeful entrepreneurs. He estimates that there are about 20 South African brands circulating at the moment, while Sehoana says that the market grew 8% last year. “They don’t realise that access to market isn’t enough to guarantee success. You also need to conduct research and market the product properly,” Makamo says.
And you have to find that X-factor. For Vaya, it’s a brand “that means something”. Makamo says: “This isn’t just a nice-looking shoe. It tells people who you are, saying something about your character.”
Bathu’s Cedrick Diphoko agrees. He’s built the Bathu brand on authenticity; underlining its local manufacture and the bright colours especially chosen to “reflect South Africa”, like yellow, red and white.
He reveals that a lot of investment goes into ensuring that Bathu remains top of mind: “We want to give the market what it’s looking for in terms of durability, creativity and technology. That’s why the brand is constantly evolving; for instance, last year we introduced lace locks instead of standard laces. Since we’re known for our colours, this is one feature we always emphasise, but it’s not enough to keep ahead of our growing competitors — we’re always introducing compelling new products.”
Drip is also constantly looking over its shoulder at the competition. The brand recently underwent a rebrand, complete with the introduction of an identifier; an aerodynamic “D” that Lekau hopes will strike the same chord as the Nike swoosh. This coincides with the launch of a marketing campaign, “The rebirth of Drip”, which highlights product characteristics like sustainability and functionality.
With 25 stores countrywide, and a presence in six Woolies stores, Sehoana’s days as a struggling entrepreneur are far from over.
Will the appetite for local sneakers eventually wear out like an old sole? No, Makamo insists. “The footwear market is projected to grow by 82% in 2023, 84% in 2024 and 85% in 2025. I don’t see demand dropping any time soon.”
