By Keletso Mkhwanazi.
Sebogodi Malefetsa, 43, whose mother couldn’t afford to purchase him a new school bag while he was in primary school, was inspired to start his own leather product line. He dropped out of SEWAFRICA Fashion College in 2019 due to financial constraints. But after that, he formed Azishenism Culture at Sebogodi House of Leather. Despite being disheartened and lacking support, he remained confident and was now the creative director. “I got the same bag every year, and when it was fully damaged, I had to come up with something to carry my books so that I could go to school,” he said, recalling a day he looked for a plastic bag for 30 minutes for his books.
He said he later came across a broken fake leather bag in a container. “This discovery inspired me to create personalised bags and apparel. Twenty years later, I have established my own studio inside the Maboneng Lifestyle Centre. “Inspired by my passion for design at a young age, I began experimenting with leather hide to produce long-lasting leather belts, bags, and shoes with a focus on quality and elegance,” said Malefetsa, explaining that his aim was to keep his products simple and minimalistic.
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He said that Azishenism Culture was founded on two important principles: simplicity in design and perfect leather quality and finish. Its aim was to break down South African barriers and grow on the African continent, with plans to export to the rest of the world. “Our 100% South African leather hide belts and bags are well-known throughout the garment industry for their high quality, and many multinational brands have hired our manufacturing and production line to make their branded items to their exact requirements,” said Malefetsa.
