Local bag company born from a chance occurrence signs international deal
Another proudly South African business is ready to take over the world.
Tlhalefang Moeletsi always knew that he would become an entrepreneur, but he never thought it would be in the fashion industry, never mind his greatest success occurring by accident.
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A happy accident that is!
Back in 2019, Tlhalefang was struggling to find the type of bag he was searching for anywhere. The bag he had in mind wasn't a complicated design. He wanted a bag with beautiful leather trimmings and a bold African-print design.
He was on the hunt for this specific type of bag in Johannesburg but alas, he could not find it.
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So he did the only logical thing left to do - he got the material he needed and decided to make it from scratch.
Moeletsi told Business Insider his next step:
There was a gentleman who was fixing my shoes who had experience with leather. I gave him the material and he made the backpack for me in the design that I wanted.
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Moeletsi was so captivated by the shoe repairer's craftsmanship and creation of the bag that he kept returning with other custom designs for bags. Together they made more leather items that were now being sold to newfound customers.
The 28-year-old saw a gap in the market for leather products that are crafted according to the design the consumer wants and he tried to fill it.
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Clearly, he got it right.
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The demand grew and soon the duo began operating on a full-time basis and even added another crafter to the team.
Eventually, they had to move to a new location in Maboneng and now the Mebala team consists of seven people.
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But there is some even bigger, more exciting news for the brand.
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Mebala, which means 'colours' in Sesotho, has seen a significant amount of love for their pieces on social media, from countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, and even America.
Last year, Mebala participated in Desing Indaba's emerging creatives platform which has previously featured super successful South African brands such as clothing line Maxhosa Africa.
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While there they were approached by a wholesaler that loved their products, so much they want to start exporting them to the US.
Mebala signed the agreement and are looking to start internationally shipping their products during the festive season!
At this point, it truly is the greatest gift this proudly local brand could receive.
Main image courtesy of Mebala.co.za