VAYA Sneakers will be launching its first-ever store in Johannesburg, at Newtown Junction Mall on Saturday, the 6th of November 2021.
Nine months after launching a footwear brand from a backroom in Katlehong, a location-based in the east rand, the company is already priding itself on having three full-time employees and is excited to create two employment opportunities.
“We’re excited by the prospect of creating job opportunities for our communities while helping others achieve their goals,” expressed the founder and CEO of VAYA footwear, Themba Makamo.
The brand which is a brainchild of Themba Makamo, a former journalist and now entrepreneur, began as an idea in 2019.
“I realized that whenever we embark on any journey in life, whether to a job interview, a performance, a date or event, the shoes that we wear influence how confident we are going to feel,” Themba points out.
Without any funding, he raised his own capital, and with the assistance of others, secured a manufacturing partner and made the first pairs.
“We started taking pre-orders at the end of 2020 and they were sold out within a week when the pairs arrived in February 2021. The idea behind the shoe is for a person to be inspired and have that “Go For It” mindset when they wear it,” states Themba.
Prior to the launch, VAYA footwear were selling their shoes online via their website and on WhatsApp.
“The opening of the store will allow our customers to have a physical experience of the shoe, something which we are excited about,” concludes Themba.