Ancestors inspire African fashion brand

Business-person Nape Phasha is not just the owner of a local SA clothing brand, he also wants to upskill his employees to establish their own brands.

Phasha, 36, who lives in Kathu, the iron ore capital of the Northern Cape, is the founder and CEO of Dlozi Ngwana Badimo – an African fashion brand he started in July last year.

Phasha, who also works as a diesel mechanic at Kumba iron ore mine in Kathu, said his mother’s journey as a traditional healer (sangoma) played a role in coining the name for his clothing label.

“After my mother got married she couldn’t bear children so she consulted traditional healers and they told her she couldn’t have children because she did not pursue her calling of being a sangoma. She then underwent the initiation process of being a sangoma and she became one.

“She was then able to have children and I was among the children she gave birth to. Sometimes when she was walking around with me in our area in Limpopo, the community members would say to her that ‘ke ngwana wa ga go woo o fileng ke badimo’ (this is the child you got from the ancestors). So that’s what inspired the name of my clothing brand,” said Phasha.

The married father of three comes from a family of five children who were raised by both parents in the area of Mohlaletsi in Sekhukhune, Limpopo,

Dlozi produces sneakers, T-shirts, sweaters, tracksuits, caps and sunglasses, among other things. Dlozi is an online shop.

Phasha said his brand is a movement that aims to inspire Africans to embrace their ancestry and not just a clothing brand.

“Africans should learn to wear clothes that represent them. Dlozi is a movement. We should embrace our ancestors through fashion,” said Phasha.

The skilled artisan said he is proud to have established a brand that African people can be proud of.

“My customers are happy. The reaction to our brand has been good. We have delivered clothing to all provinces in SA and as far as Nairobi, Kenya and Lubumbashi in the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo]. I am extremely overwhelmed to see Africans wearing my brand on the streets without being ashamed. We should continue representing the underground gang [ancestors],” said Phasha.

Dlozi has seven employees, including two graphic designers. It has two people in Gauteng (Pretoria and Johannesburg) who knit and sew clothing.

In its formative stages Dlozi made between R2,000 and R20,000 a month. Phasha said the brand now makes more than R100,000 a month.

Dlozi has also established a bursary programme to help cover the costs of people who want to go through the initiation processes of being a traditional healer.

Phasha said his goal is to establish textile factories in rural areas to empower his employees with business, sewing, dressmaking, printing and branding skills.

“I want to upskill my employees. I do not want them to work for me for more than five years. That would be an insult. I want to allow them to create their own businesses,” said Phasha.