Meet Utlwanang Mmeti, an awesome 18 year old who kicked off his own sneaker brand called Dapper Shooz in August 2022. Born and raised in Luka, Utlwanang finished high school last year with flying colours. Instead of rushing into a post-school institution, he made the bold choice to take a gap year and put all his focus on Dapper Shooz. And guess what?  His family and friends have been incredible, giving him their full support and even helping him with the startup funds. It’s pretty amazing how Utlwanang, at such a young age, is determined to make a big impact in the sneaker world. He’s ready to leave his footprint on the sneaker world!  

Fundza: What inspired you to start your sneaker brand, Dapper Shooz?

Utlwanang: The inspiration came from noticing that there was a current wave of local sneakers in the country; a lot of people are embracing and supporting local brands.

I spoke to my older brother, and I asked him about this major market and then he said to me that I need to research more, so that’s basically what I did. I looked up manufacturers and so on. So the problem obviously was the money. My family said to me that if I can demonstrate to them that I’ve done my research, they would help me. So, I did the research for one year, checking out different manufacturers, so we know how much it would cost to manufacture and then when I was done, I did a presentation and then they agreed to help me. My family gave me a loan to start the business.

Fundza: What were some of the challenges that you experienced while creating this brand?

Utlwanang: First starting, it’s hard for you to have a physical location to operate. It’s easy to set up a social media presence, but when I first started the brand a lot of people were asking me where the shop is and I was very surprised that they expect a startup to have a physical store. The most challenging part is that a lot of people thought that I was running a scam; they wanted to walk into a physical place.

Fundza: Are you targeting a specific customer with your sneaker brand and could you explain how the sneaker design functions?Utlwanang: Specific customer is anyone who enjoys lightweight sneakers; sneakers that they can work out with, or lifestyle sneakers. We are trying to incorporate style into our sneakers so that they can be versatile, you can work out in them or go to the mall, jog with them or wear them at work. Generally, though, any South African who believes in supporting entrepreneurs and startups. 

The way it’s designed is because its lightweight, you can jog with it if you are an active person, but also just the aesthetics of the shoe allows you to wear it to a function or the mall, so that’s the lifestyle part. 

Fundza: How do you plan to make your business stand out from others in the market? 

Utlwanang: To launch online and get people familiar with the brand, Dapper. Ultimately, what I’ve been planning is to expand the range, but I thought it would be easier if I focus on one thing at the moment so that people can get used to the brand. The big plan is when the brand grows, is to recruit a lot of young people who are designers, who will create designs that have never been seen before, that are eye-catching and uniquely South African. In future, we want to extend the brand locally but also continentally as time goes on, and also have an international footprint.

Fundza: Who are your biggest supporters? It seems like your brother, Ikageng Mmeti, is really important in this whole process as well.

Utlwanang: In terms of supporters, my whole family is, my parents, my siblings, but he’s the one that I see regularly. He’s always the one helping me with ideas and strategies on how to create impact and hot reach new customers.

Fundza: Do you plan to continue studying?

Utlwanang: Yes, definitely. I’m looking into getting into the IT space, apparel and design. I’m currently busy with applications.

Fundza: What skills do you think are important for a successful entrepreneur? What do you think are the key factors in becoming really successful and launching a business?

Utlwanang: I think one of the major skills that a lot of people tend to ignore is research. Because I believe that if you want to get into any market, you need to know what it’s about, that way you’ll be able to possibly cut out the middleman. A lot of times there’ll be a middleman that will increase your costs. As young entrepreneurs, we need to get into the hang of doing our research first, don’t rush. 

Also, take a bit of time, because when you start something, maybe take 6 months to 12 months, sit down, evaluate and see whether in six months, see if your idea is still viable to use. 

Fundza: What is your long-term goal for the business?

Utlwanang: The long-term goal is to have a national footprint; to have stores in malls. Obviously, have new designs that a lot of people can enjoy and expand to clothes. 

Fundza: What advice do you have for someone who wants to start a business?

Utlwanang: You have to first know what it is that you want and research it. Another beneficial thing is to match your passion and see if there’s a niche in the market. 

For example, if you’re passionate about cooking, you don’t mind doing it for free. If you can find a niche in that space of cooking, in hospitality, it will be very beneficial because it’s already something that you like doing.

Check out Utlwanang Mmeti’s store!  If you’re in Johannesburg, visit the Midrand area ior  online, you can check out Dapper Shooz Instagram’s page, @dappershooz. or visit the website dappersa.co.za

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