Daveyton entrepreneur makes Mail & Guardian 200 list
The 27-year-old was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the second South African Youth Awards.
A visionary entrepreneur, Lethabo Mokoena made it onto the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans list.
Each year the Mail & Guardian profiles young people who have stood out from the pack and have shown that through them, the country’s future is bright.
The u-35s have shown themselves to be leaders.
Mokoena is the founder of Walk Fresh Sneaker Cleaning and Shoe Care, in Daveyton, which was founded in 2015.
The business offers various services, including sneaker cleaning, leather shoe care and polishing, and suede and nubuck cleaning.
When asked how he feels about being featured on the list, he said it’s an amazing feeling to be mentioned on a list alongside other young people across South Africans that are doing really great things and contributing towards moving the country forward.
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In 2017, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the second South African Youth Awards.
Previously, Mokoena told City Times that he saw an opportunity to create employment for his peers, who were not privileged enough to go to university.
“I decided to change their faith and find something that would benefit my peers,” said Mokoena.
Mokoena graduated from the University of Johannesburg with a BA in Corporate Communication in 2014.
In 2017, he launched his first flagship store in partnership with J&B Hive, the business employees six youngsters full-time.
After he completed his studies, there was the question of whether he should get a job or start a business.
The 27-year-old said he was sitting with a friend, who was washing his mother’s sneakers and that’s when he saw the business opportunity.
“That’s how Walk Fresh was conceived.”
The next day, he created flyers to be distributed around the neighbourhood.
Mokoena said hard work and consistency is what drives him to make a success of his business.
In the short period they have been operating, they have established drop-off points in Johannesburg, Boksburg and they also do house calls.
Clients also have the option of dropping off their shoes and having them delivered to their doorstep for a fee.
His adviceto other young people who wants to go into business is to just start.
“Start and figure things out as you go, fail forward, ask questions and disrupt any industry you go into.”
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