By Sizakele Nduli
A 32-year-old entrepreneur from Mamelodi in Pretoria has proven that reinvention is a crucial strategy for survival in today’s dynamic business world. Odirile Moagi initially founded Kenyada Couture in 2019 as a fashion brand, driven by her love for creative and custom-made outfits. “I love dressing up and getting a bit creative when I get custom dresses and outfits, and that was the reason I tapped into the fashion space,” Moagi shared. Over time, she pivoted to making satin head wraps under the same brand.
However, in mid-2024, Moagi rebranded her business to Kenyada Workwear, shifting focus to creating workwear designs. Moagi’s career trajectory changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic when she lost her job in the banking sector as an analyst and product owner. “My entire team was part of a bank-wide retrenchment process,” Moagi explained. This forced her to rethink her future and career.
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She told Vutivi News that while looking for new opportunities and continuing to work on her brand, Moagi’s mother, a nurse, suggested that she makes medical scrubs. “I started considering workwear when I realised the growth opportunities it presented,” she said. The idea sparked her interest in expanding her business, blending her analytical skills with the creativity she’d nurtured in fashion.
Initially, she focused on scrubs, but challenges with non-standard sizes made it difficult to manage orders. “I had a great relationship with a dialysis centre, where I was supplying the scrubs to their employees at their various branches across the country. That relationship unfortunately ended due to challenges of meeting their demands in a timely manner, as a result of limited resources, and I was offering custom made scrubs, so at the time, I wasn’t working with standard sizes.
“Although it worked for many clients, that approach wasn’t the best for business. That’s one of the reasons I decided to shift my business model,” she shared. By mid-2024, Moagi rebranded her company to Kenyada Workwear, focusing on unique workwear designs such as aprons, golf shirts and dungarees. “I officially went live with the website in July, with the main focus being on aprons. I elected to start with that as it would allow me to appeal to a larger audience and to introduce the business/brand to a wider target market,” she explained.
As the business grew, Moagi received requests for additional products. “The aim is to slowly start including various types of workwear across different sectors,” she said. “We have limited capacity, and the rapid interest in our aprons surprised me. We have made golfers as well as dungarees. I’d hate to bite off more than I can chew, with the risk of creating unrealistic expectations.”
Moagi, who is self-funded, continues to face the realities of being a small business owner. “One of SMME’s greatest problems is funding,” she explained. “As a self-funded small business, it isn’t always easy to invest in the kinds of equipment that you’d like; you have to start small and outsource where possible until you can afford to purchase your own.”
Currently, she operates with minimal help, relying on one part-time employee. “As a business owner, you have to wear many hats,” she said, acknowledging the challenge of managing everything on her own. Looking ahead, Moagi is excited about her business’s potential. “I’m inspired by larger workwear companies and how they cater to various industries. I’d love to do that with a bit of a twist. In the near future, I’d love to supply corporates with their uniforms and corporate wear, not just individuals,” she added. For further details, you can visit the website at: kenyadaworkwear.co.za
