Utlwanang Mmeti, a 17-year-old from Luka Village in Rustenburg, North West province founded his own sneaker brand called ‘Dapper Shooz’. In Africa, very few entrepreneurs venture into the apparel and footwear industry owning to structural challenges and the growing taste for foreign products by citizens of the ‘motherland.’ As a result, many entrepreneurs are cautious about exploring that field.
The 17-year-old entrepreneur has dared to be different and standing on the shoulders of previous entrepreneurs, who went into local footwear manufacturing has come out with his own brand. Mmeti produces sneakers with beautiful designs and they come in different colours at a low price. The sneakers are available for purchase online and at his store in Midrand at R999. Utlwanang Mmeti ultimately opened the doors of his first shoe store in Midrand, while he was still pursuing his matric.
The young businessman from Rustenburg founded Dapper Footwear and on November 6, 2022 he officially launched the store at the Midrand Space & Co Entrepreneur Village - Swart Drive, President Park. He made his footwear designs available to the public at the beginning of last year. One of his objectives was to encourage young businesspeople to start with whatever resources they have available to them. He started his business in his mother’s garage. “I began in a village within the North-West province in my mom’s garage, you have to start somewhere,” commented Mmeti.
As someone who is persistent, brave, and passionate, Utlwanang chose his brand name ‘Dapper’ with respect to his personality. The word “dapper” simply refers to someone who is well-dressed, trendy, and stylish. He even brands his sneakers as one for “the underdogs, the dreamers and the doers.” The sneaker market is extremely competitive. He had the idea to start his own sneaker brand when he was only 16 and has been developing it ever since. In a social media post, the young entrepreneur claimed that his sneakers were intended for regular people, who pursue their dreams and maximize their potential. “It was not easy to bring the idea to life. There were many challenges but that did not stop me from pursuing my dream,” he said.
According to Utlwanang, his success and accomplishment are proof to all youngsters that dreams can be attained with perseverance and hard work. “This is for all the underdogs that were denied opportunities, all the children that were denied a slice of the cake and all those who were denied a seat at the table. We have built our own table now and we have baked our own cake,” said Utlwanang.
