POLOKWANE- As far as clothes go, the only thing that Kagiso Malebe ever has to shop for, is shoes.
The 34-year-old is a fashion designer and the founder of House of Kay Master, and has been in the industry for nine years.
He started by decorating jeans that he bought in a store and worked his way up from there.
“I would put an exclamation mark at back of the left leg, by using a needle. From there I got fabric from a friend which I used to design shirts,” he explained.
This was the catalyst that ignited his passion for design.
He started taking orders and soon he found the solution for his problem of not being able to afford new clothes.
“From there, I would make my own clothes and make a living using my talent,” he said.
He explained that everything he made was self-taught, and it was only once he decided to cut a career out of design that he went for formal training.
He was introduced to the Limpopo Jewellery Business Incubator by a friend who is also part of the programme.
“This was one of the best moves that I could have made as a SMME owner as the advantage is that I have access to a lot of information including how to manage my business, doing my financials every month, and getting connected with radio stations and newspapers for interviews,” he said.
Malebe has created employment for two people on a temporary basis.
The biggest challenge he currently faces is space to work from as when he offers tutorials, the space is not big enough to cater for everyone.
“Another challenge is the cost of machinery. I want to open a cut, make and trim (CMT) factory but it has been difficult to get funds and investors.”
Load-shedding has also had a negative impact on his business, he said, as he cannot afford a back-up system.
It is, however, not all doom and gloom, as he looks back on some recent highlights in his career.
“I received a top achiever award when I graduated in 2019 at the Polokwane School of Fashion and Design. I was also awarded the best evening wear designer in Polokwane at the Global Entrepreneurship Week,” he said. He also is a qualified facilitator and assessor and did some facilitating work at his former college.
Malebe is in constant pursuit of improving his skills as there are so many designers in the city and competition from big retail stores.
