12 Dec 2016

Having started off with just t-shirts, Ghetto Kasi Laam clothing label has now moved to an array of other merchandises today.

The Francistown-based clothing label has really come off age and is now embraced by many across the second city of Francistown.

Speaking in an interview the founder of the label and also its creative director, Nsiiwa Ncenga stated that when he started back in his schooling days at Selolwe Junior School in Francistown, he never anticipated it growing to such stage and even sustaining him.

Nostalgia hits him every time he narrates how he was flat broke and had some little savings from a piece job he was doing at a nearby tyre shop and bought five t-shirts, printed them with his logo and slogan and Ghetto Kasi Laam was born.

“The first five t-shirts sparked a much unprecedented interest and demand from the public and inspired me to expand into other merchandises. Now Ghetto Kasi Laam boasts of t-shirts for both kids and adults, vests, hoodies, track tops, snap caps and jerseys,” Ncenga said. His marketing strategy, he said, encompasses a mixture of social media and music artists’ endorsements. Ghetto Kasi Laam is widely represented on its Facebook and Twitter accounts where he interacts with his clients and takes orders.

He credited social media platforms for enabling him to market his brand widely and at no cost, saying that has enabled the clothing label to get attention from people in far away places.

Another equally important strategy that he used to market his clothing label was when music artists endorsed his clothing label.

Ncenga listed Madala Vs Kelly Jess of Tlhomela fame, Boitarg and ThinTee as some of Francistown based artists promoting his clothing label.

Currently, he does not have printing machines but outsources all his printing and embroidery works locally.

“My merchandise is top quality and I buy it from a local company called BM Garments situated at Shashe,” he said.

Ncenga revealed that Ghetto Kasi Laam clothing was on the verge of a major expansion, which would include opening up a shop dedicated to selling the label and buying screen printing machines to meet all his printing needs.

“I have applied for a CEDA loan and am currently in business management training with them.. ENDS