by Maretha Botes
Sixteen years of blood, sweat and tears, many failures and a hunger for success is what encouraged the founder of Drip Footwear to create a sneaker brand inspired by ordinary South Africans in the townships
During one of the worst crises faced by the apparel industry in decades, the sneaker market is one of the success stories of 2020. For African entrepreneurs this market has presented enormous opportunities to leverage. In the global market sneakers are taking market dominance in the footwear category.
It is forecasted that this market will be worth US$ 95 billion by 2025. The footwear segment in South Africa alone is expected to reach US$ 594 million by then. It is not rocket science to figure out why this market has seen such a boom. Keeping in mind brands like Nike and Adidas, it is hard not to notice the correlation in the growth of the athleisure market and the sneaker phenomenon. The fact that a growing number of consumers are interested in an active lifestyle is doing wonders for turning sportswear into everyday wear. Add to this the fact that sneakers are an easy entryway into the athleisure market, and you have a recipe for success.
Globally, streetwear culture is on the rise. African consumers lean towards streetwear because it’s comfortable and lightweight, perfect for the continent’s hot climate. For the younger market it is mostly about cachet, or being respected by peers.
Lekau Sehoana, founder and CEO of Drip Footwear, was not shy to enter this booming market, and he admits he is not even halfway to where he aspires to be. Entering the market in 2019, Drip is the fastest growing shoe brand on the continent. During the first year Drip opened three stores. By the time the brand turns two in July, it will have a lucky thirteen stores. Sehoana recalls what it felt like to receive the first shipment of Drip sneakers from the factory. “I have never seen so many shoes in my life, and they were all mine!”
Drip sneakers are inspired by South Africans in the townships who walk a lot. In all the designs a knit mesh is used as it is light and breathable. Although it seems like Drip’s success happened at the strike of lightning, it is all but true. It is the product of sixteen years of blood, sweat and tears, many failures and a hunger for success.
Lekau’s dream was driven by poverty and his disadvantaged background became the foundation and driving force in building the Drip empire. A rag to riches story? Definitely.
The thirty-two-year-old refers to himself as “just a township boy from Ivory Park” who had a township dream. Growing up dirt poor, Sehoana always tried to find ways to make a little extra money to support his family. He says hustling is in his blood, and he could never quite shake the entrepreneurial spirit.
The year is 2003: the young Sehoana was in his first year of high school. It was civvies day, and with nothing but tatters and old shoes to wear, he decided to make his own outfit. This was an existential moment for him: “Luckily my grandmother taught me how to sew. I created my whole outfit from pieces of old denim, including the shoes which I sew together using denim and polyurethane. People loved my shoes, and for the rest of my high school career I made clothes for others. I developed a love for fashion, and making shoes.”
Sehoana was conscious about being different from an early age. “Thinking of those days still brings up a lot of emotions. My mom was single. She and my dad got divorced when I was only two. We then moved from Limpopo to Ivory Park township in Midrand. We had no electricity, and our clothes always wreaked of paraffin. The shack we stayed in was very small and my mom and sister slept on the bed, while I slept on the floor with my two brothers. Coming back from school I used to be laughed at because of this. No one actually came to visit me after school, except a few people who accepted me and my circumstances. I usually just kept to myself in the afternoons, because I was tired of being the laughing stock.”
Between that civvies day sneaker and the first Drip sneaker lies a 16-year gap, during which Sehoana hustled with various ideas for businesses. Although his poultry and cleaning business brought home a little money, it wasn’t the success he had hoped for. Something was missing, but Sehoana could not quite put a finger on it, and he decided to study civil engineering, a far cry from designing footwear, but he felt he had to have a degree in order to enter the employment market.
Entering the market in 2019, Drip is the fastest growing shoe brand on the continent
In 2015 he entered the economy with his first ‘real’ job in the construction business. Yet, the dream to fly solo and be his own boss never left him. “I spent hours doing research and reading up on people like Khanye West, brand guru Thebe Ikalafeng and gaining inspiration from South African media personalities such as DJ S’bu, Sizwe Dhlomo and American rapper Jay-Z. But it was the story of Nike’s founders, Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, that again ignited my old love for fashion and I just knew it: my business was going to be sneakers,” says Sehoana. “That’s me, that’s who I am. A sneaker kind of guy.”
He sees himself as a self-taught entrepreneur who trusts his gut and research. And perhaps that is also what sets him apart from other entrepreneurs. He says, “I don’t have a mentor. I trust my intuition.”
In 2018 Drip Footwear was registered even before Sehoana had a design idea for the shoe. “It was the first step in building my brand. And from there, everything else fell in place,” he says.
At first the name Drip didn’t go down well with everybody. Sehoana’s close friends, with whom he shares ideas, felt it reminded them of hospital drips. Ironically it was this negative connection that persuaded Sehoana to stay with Drip. He explains, “When my friends spoke about the negative connotation, I immediately knew I should keep the name, but that I had a mission to build a positive connection with the name,” he says. Drip is also township slang for cool, fashionable or swag.
Starting a business from scratch can be a frightening affair and he admits that one of his biggest fears was to not succeed. Most of his old school friends already had successful careers by the time Sehoana started to build his brand, and the thought of failing again was daunting. However, Sehoana’s motto in business is let’s move, because without action there cannot be any results.
“There were days I was scared of failing. That is why I did so much research. I played with the thought of going with loafers and a more formal shoe, but when I stood back, I realised there is just so much more to offer in the sneaker market. You can do so much more,” he says.
His vision is to establish Drip Corporation and expand the brand to include sports shoes and attire. Being a bit of a visionary, Sehoana says, “I don’t want to be a brand that starts off and disappears after a while. I want to create more and go deeper.”
He feels that his own story is one of the reasons for Drip’s success. It is a story a lot of South Africans can relate to. Before Drip even had one shoe to sell, Sehoana’s own story was already trending on social media.During the first few months Sehoana and Drip had to overcome tough challenges. The company is self-funded. When he started out, Sehoana insisted on pre-orders to raise capital, enough to make 600 sneakers, to get the business established. “Cash Flow versus growth has been a huge issue, but was soon ironed out as demand started to exceed supply. Instead of looking for investors or approaching a financial institution for a loan, I made a deal with the factory to produce more sneakers, enabling me to pay later.” This worked well for Drip and the factory in Durban produces two hundred thousand pairs three times a year (for now).
Another challenge has been the huge amount of red tape from government that entrepreneurs face when starting a business.
“They don’t make it very easy for one to start up your own business. This can be disheartening and break you before you even start. Also, not enough is done to promote young, black entrepreneurs. It is swim or sink for most of us, because government and big businesses don’t have our backs.”
According to Sehoana, business started with the online store, which worked a charm during lockdown and propelled growth into bricks-and-mortar stores. Pop-up stores were created to test the market, and demand saw them opening the first physical store on 27 June in Pretoria, during lockdown.
He emphasises the fact that he employs young people, as they are the future. Drip already employs 80 people, of which the oldest is 37 years old. He handpicks his employees, looking for creativity, self-drive, a zest for life and heaps of energy.
“I am not looking for years of experience. In fact, a lot of my employees did not have any experience when they started out at Drip. They had a dream and they had a drive to succeed. And this is where we as a business can play a vital role in the transformation space in South Africa. Young, black companies should realise the importance of youth development. These young people, with or without experience and tertiary education, are the ones who are going to build our economy. We create opportunities and gain experience as we learn and grow together.
“Our brand is a reminder to dream big and never give up. From there our slogan, the township dream. No matter how big we get, we will never forget what made us. We want to remind people that even the dreams they dream as township dwellers are valid, and they can create a brand that is of quality, competing with multi-million dollar brands on the market. We will never forget our township connection.
“Drip radiates creativity. And that is what sets it apart from competitors. The flowing lines, the vibrant colours. We decided to go with a lot of colour, because that is how I see South Africans. They love colour. We are colourful people,” Sehoana told BBQ.
What’s next on the menu for Sehoana? A vacation, he says. He admits that he has been pouring all his energy into building his brand, and that someone close to him recently advised him to take some time off and rest his mind and body, in order for him to take his business to the next level…
More about the man behind Drip
When you are not working, where will find you?
Working (whether at the office or at home). I know it sounds boring, but that’s what I do.
What is the most valuable possession you own?
My business!
How are your friends likely to describe you?
Ingenious.
What was your best personal investment ever?
Reading, reading, reading. I had enough time one hands when I was younger to read loads of books and magazines. This is how I’ve learned about poverty, how to overcome it, and what entrepreneurship really is.
How do you navigate work-play balance?
This is still really difficult for me and I am not yet successful at the balancing act.
Why is the word independence important to you?
Because I’ve been kept captured by the monster of poverty for too long.
On a scale of 1 to 10–how drip are you?
Eleven.
As for movies, do you prefer comedies, thrillers or action?
None, really. I love documentaries and true stories. It keeps me going.
What are you currently reading?
Building a story brand: clarify your message so customers will listen, by Donald Miller.
What is your favourite saying?
To him whom much is given, much is required.
Sehoana’s top tips …. for young entrepreneurs interested in becoming entrepreneurs
• Do get a lawyer to help you understand all business legalities and contracts.
• Invest in an accountant to handle your money matters.
• Do pay your taxes.
• Take ownership of your brand. No-one else will do it for you.
• If you do not know how to do something, ask for help.
• Don’t post about your competition on social media.
Sehoana’s top tips …. for creating your own brand
• Do something that you believe in. Running a business takes up a lot of time. The only way to be satisfied is to do something you truly believe in.
• Do thorough research about your product and your market.
• Focus on your product’s function and work around that when you develop your brand. Keep it as simple as possible for marketing purposes.
• When opening stores, or finding outlets for your product, keep in mind where your customers are located.
• Invest in the people you work with. They are the foundation and the future of your company.
He emphasises the fact that he employs young people, as they are the future
10 Things about Drip you did not know
• The first 600 pairs were all pink. It sold out within two weeks.
• Sehoana did not have his own pair of Drip sneakers until 2 December 2019. The reason being, that the factory only had moulds for sizes 3 to 7, and once he had the capital, he could do bigger sizes (it costs a pretty penny to open a new sole mold).
• By December 2019 Drip grossed over R1,2 million.
• Sehoana now wears nothing but Drip on his feet.
• The first logo looked like a smiley face, but Sehoana changed it to the trendy well-known “D” just before going into production for the first time.
• Yellow and red are the most popular Drip sneaker colours, therefore the shoe boxes are red and the delivery vans are yellow.
• The first woman to rock a pair of Drips was media personality Kuli Roberts.
• Other names considered for the company were Azania and Ivory.
• The first shoes’ soles were made of silicone, which cracks fast, and was quickly replaced with a better quality material.
• Unlike Nike, who only uses its swoosh on its shoes, Drip’s whole name is printed on the shoe so that people can relate to the brand.
Lekau Sehoana.
