Johannesburg - Themba Makamo is a sneakerhead.
The founder and chief executive of VAYA Footwear has always been influenced by the sneakers he wears and wanted others to get a foot in too.
“There is a specific type of feeling I get when I walk in sneakers and I thought to myself I would like to create something that could recreate that feeling in someone else.”
Makamo said he wanted to design sneakers that would make people feel confident and go for their dreams. He connected his love for sneakers and confidence to create his brand.
“For the longest time it has been at the back of my mind to have my own silhouette and my own design of a sneaker. But because of lack of information and exposure back then, we thought it was a difficult task to start something so big.”
As the years went by, the industry opened up and the internet became a tool for many, Makamo realised it wasn’t out of his reach.
“The process has had its challenges. We launched at a time when the pandemic had just started. You spend a lot of money to get the shoe together. Getting it into the market, as a blackowned company we are still very small in the bigger picture.
“There are 260 million shoes that are sold in a year and we don’t even take up 5% of that. Every black-owned business that is coming in is really needed so we can build this market,” he said.
His entrepreneurial journey began in primary school where he used to sell peanuts using a box of matches as a scoop.
The entrepreneur honed his skills as a young man doing a number of things like launching a one-stop-shop matric farewell service to township schools and offering a mobile dreadlocks styling service to clients around Katlehong over weekends.
He went on to pursue a career as a writer, working as a journalist for a few years until he decided to quit his job and go back to his entrepreneurial calling.
Now, he is making a name for himself as owner of a footwear brand that he believes can compete with any international brand.
He said VAYA Footwear was different from other brands because it was not just a sneaker.
“Our whole vision is about helping ambitious people reach their goals. We designed a sneaker that makes people feel confident.
“Whenever we embark on any journey, whether it be to a date, a job interview, or a performance; you have to think about the shoes that you are going to wear. Your shoes influence how confident you are going to feel.
“We have started on a smaller scale to say to people: If you have a dream and you don’t know how to go about doing this thing, we can help you on your journey.”
He said the biggest lesson he had learnt on his journey was to be passionate.
“When you are building something like this, it has to be driven by purpose. Anybody can start a sneaker brand but what makes the difference is the drive.
“With me, when I started realising that people were connected to the message, it became bigger than me. One day we want to be in a position to say there are people who have made it in life, built their own companies because they came into contact with VAYA. There has to be a bigger purpose than profit,” he said.
Makamo said he was thankful that the era of social media allowed him to speak directly to his customers.
“Platforms used to be expensive to engage with people. Social media has helped us in understanding our customer and how we can best serve their needs.”
He added that he was grateful for the support black business was getting locally.
“It is always better to build your own and stay loyal to your own people. We want to build something that is sustainable so people can survive.”
Makamo is excited for the future, opening stores, building factories and creating employment.
“More than anything we want to impact lives, help our communities and create job opportunities.”
The Star