Cape Town - A young up and coming entrepreneur Siyabulela Sophi from Khayelitsha is making a name for himself.
The 27-year-old from Makhaza started designing T-shirts and other clothes in 2014. After he saw a great demand for it online it was his dream to start a clothing store and employ youth.
“After graduating at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology I luckily got a job at a network company and that is where I realised my heart was in the arts.
“I informed my friend Simphiwe Tabata, who is my partner, about my plans and dreams. I was also a DJ on the side and when I saw I had saved enough I focused on my brand. I was never funded for the store, it was all my hard work,” Sophi said.
Sophi said the choice to study further, entrepreneur training at the University of South Africa (Unisa), helped him understand that the root of good business “is doing good and helping people.”
“I am currently the recipient of the Social Entrepreneur of the year, honoree award by Mr. Graham Power of Power Construction. All of the clothes in my store we designed ourselves. them, We are only sourcing the caps. I receive orders from all other provinces and also neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe and Swaziland,” he said.
The store MK ORIGINALS opened on January 6 and is situated near the Somerset taxi rank.
“I am determined to prove that townships are ready to compete with other clothing stores. I want to uplift my community and show the youth you can do anything if you work hard. I want to encourage them to aspire to reach their full potential. We started MK Originals to play an influential role in the betterment of Khayelitsha economy,” he said.