Daveyton youngsters serious about shoe care
Has it ever crossed your mind that shoes also need tender love and care?
Well, that’s exactly the kind of attention the employees of Walk Fresh will give your footwear.
Walk Fresh Sneaker Cleaning and Shoe Care, in Daveyton, was founded in June, 2015.
The co-founder, Lethabo Mokoena, saw an opportunity to create employment for his peers, who were not privileged enough to go to university.
“I decide 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.
After he completed his studies, there was the question of whether he should get a job or start a business.
“One day, I was sitting with a friend and he was washing his mother’s sneakers; that’s when I saw the business opportunity,” said Mokoena.
“That’s how Walk Fresh was conceived.”
The next day, he created flyers to be distributed around the neighbourhood.
The business is made up of Thabang Mkadimeng, Thanbo Manzini, Kamogelo Boikhutso and Kabelo Moswenke.
In the first three weeks, the business managed to wash 40 pairs of sneakers.
The 24-year-old said the response was overwhelming and they now have loyal customers who bring their shoes every month.
“I realised the potential of the business and decided to formalise it,” he said.
On the day of his graduation, Walk Fresh was officially launched, with seed capital from Awethu Projects.
The business offers various services, including sneaker cleaning, leather shoe care and polishing, and suede and nubuck cleaning.
When asked what makes his business different, Mokoena said: “We are self-taught and we conduct in-depth research on how to clean or wash different shoe materials.
“We examine the shoes, to determine whether they will need any stitches – especially sneakers – and we also do colour refurbishing,”‘
In the short period they have been operating, they have established drop-off points in Farrarmere and in Johannesburg.
Clients also have the option of dropping off their shoes and having them delivered to their doorstep for a fee.
Mokoena added that their service is in great demand.
“We have been asked to bring such services to Cape Town and Pretoria,” he said.
“We have big plans for the business and, at the moment, we are building our client base and making people aware of the services we render.”
Mokoena adds that, in five years time, the business will have have franchises around the country.
His advice to other young people is to just go ahead and get started.
“If it fails, then you would have learned from that experience,” he said.
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