A brand for change
KwaThema - One Day Sopopa is one of the fast-growing brands in Kwatsaduza, and founder Mzwandile Jongwe (34) says it was birthed by his passion for being a hustlerpreneur (a person who makes things happen).
Jongwe says that his brand was conceptualised as far back as 2010 when he was still running a youth development programme, Youth Connexion, where he introduced young people to the printing and fashion design industry.
“Through teaching and developing young minds in various skills, I also got experience in T-shirt printing, which birthed the idea of me having my own brand.
“It had to be different from other brands in the sense that it should say something and leave an impression on the next person reading the message,”says the designer.
One Day Sopopa, meaning ‘one day we will be OK’, is a street term mostly used by street hustlers in the township.
Jongwe says that many young people are striving to be successful in business and various careers, and that a message like this brings hope that one day their dreams will become a reality.
“We live in an area in which we are bombarded with messages everywhere we go, and it’s those messages that bring hope to people and remain messages that people never forget.
“That’s exactly what I want to achieve with my brand,” he says.
Jongwe’s brand is not limited to T-shirts – there are also caps, golf tops, sweat pants and many other items that carry his inspirational message.
One of his short-term goals is to open a pop-up store where clients can gain access to his products whenever they want to make a purchase.
“The aim is to make my brand accessible to all and not limit myself to orders that take time to get to the customers,” he says.
