The crux of colonization was to institutionalize the way Africans think. Africans were wired to abandon the traditional way of life that required members of tribes and communities to be masters of their destinies, and coerced to participate in a system that taught our people that they were simply resources whose value was determined by an ecosystem foreign to them. Hundreds of years later, Africans have become increasingly aggressive in reclaiming ownership of their destinies, resources and the God given talent that exists therein. It is this emerging drive that has birthed authentically African businesses which are rapidly dominating in their industries. Lekau Sehoana and his business Drip Footwear effortlessly reside in the heart of this shift in narrative, with a growing empire consisting of 20 stores and hundreds of employees, Drip Footwear is a rapidly expanding continental fashion brand to be reckoned with.
Lekau’s dream was born in a shack in a South African township called Ivory Park. He describes himself at the age of 21 as “drunkard, poverty stricken and hopeless”, but it was this life of hardship that inspired his empire when he was unable to attend a school function because he didn’t have shoes to wear. He credits his grandmother for teaching him how to sew, and that was the flicker he needed to ignite an idea into a bankable business. Now 33, it has taken Lekau just over 2 years to establish himself and his brand as household names in South Africa’s popular culture.
“I’m glad that I discovered my greatness earlier on in life. Every human being has genius-level talent and greatness. There are no chosen ones. You just have to find what you are great at and tap into it. We are all great,” Lekau shares insights on his journey on social media. As someone who understand what a world with no opportunities for young, black people looks and feels like, becoming great is not something he simply preaches about to his army of followers. Lekau is actively helping people to realise their own destinies through the growth of his business. After having lived and tasted generational unemployment first hand, he is driven to play his part.
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“My Mom has only worked for 5 years in her 62 years of life. All the other years I don’t know how we survived. She’s been unemployed forever. My calling has then been me trying to create as many jobs as possible to people that look like me”. This go getter refused to allow these humble beginnings to become a factor that would work against his success, when he founded his business he would get rides from friends and e-hailing cab services to deliver orders.
Determined to continuously push the limits and exude excellence, Lekau has gone beyond giving hope to young South Africans, and has now firmly established himself amongst the country’s A list celebrities to combine star and brand power. The launch of the Root of Fame sneaker in collaboration with superstar musician Cassper Nyovest was a big first for African made footwear brands, whilst the more recent partnership with DJ Zinhle and Black Motion’s Murdah Bongz on the launch of Drip’s fragrance “Finesse” is another game changer for home grown brands across the continent. The message is clear, Africans can dominate on every level of the retail chain.
“It’s been two years and seven months since I sold the first pair of Drip Footwear sneakers. And on my way home from delivering those sneakers, I told myself that I’m not going to do this for a quick buck but to build a retail conglomerate. That was the birth of The Drip Group, a retail group that aims not only at developing retail brands and businesses but to build them from scratch as well as acquiring them,” Lekau is determined to create an indelible and impactful footprint in the African retail industry as he also plans to expand beyond South Africa and into the rest of Africa this year. One step at a time, and indeed one sneaker at a time, Lekau is leaving his mark as the change he wants to see.
