17 Sep 2018

Despite the influx of locally produced fashion brands, Tswa Mo Bonyeng clothing label is doing well.

Its success is a result of a combination of rigorous marketing strategy and visible social media presence.

The label is just months old, having started in December 2017, but has already proved popular with young people around the country, especially tertiary students as the ‘Tswa Mo Bonyeng’ tagline depicts seems to resonate with them.

It is some sort of statement to mean ‘ridding oneself of slowdown’ or encourages one to ‘ride the current trends.’

Owned by 26-year-old Thomamo Madande, the clothes it produces are ‘hippie’ and in line with the latest urban fashion trends.

The Serowe-born label has managed a break through into the market and Madande is reaping the rewards.

In an interview with BOPA, the brains behind the sensation stated that his business was funded by a locally owned youth company in Serowe, A6 Graphics, who loved his idea so much they helped him get it off the ground.

He said the love of fashion and his admiration for locally produced fashion brands like Urban Soul pushed him to start his own unique thing and ‘Tswa Mo Bonyeng’ fashion brand was born.

He said, the urge to make it in life also prompted him to work hard at starting something to sustain himself, since he was not academically gifted.

Madande said he was optimistic that he could push his brand to greater heights looking at the fact that he did well only in commerce at school because he knew he was destined to be an entrepreneur.

Currently ‘Tswa Mo Bonyeng stocks t-shirts, hoodies, caps and umbrellas, he said.

Madande, who is also a musician doing hip hop music under the stage name TizzRap, noted that he was happy with the support that the government is giving young people.

His only concern was the private sector, which he said was not forthcoming to support the local youth industry.

His future plans, he explained, were to apply for the Youth Development Fund to help augment his clothing label and diversify to other apparels, and even own a store.

“With the support that I get from my managers, Verse Dintwa and Lorato Mogapi, I will go far with my clothing label and even my music career,” he said.

Going forward, Madande expressed his wish to add more apparel to his clothing label such as sneakers and hopefully open a fully-fledged store. ENDS