By Kagiso Bonoko 

“I’ve always been very fashion conscious and passionate about hats, and every time I go to family gatherings or any type of social gatherings, I make sure that I put on an attractive hat” Mapholo Ledika

“So on the day I attended my aunt’s funeral, I had  this attractive hat on, that I had made myself, and everyone loved it; compliments were flowing, and that was basically the unofficial birth of Ledikana Creations.” She says.

From then on, her hat designs were predominantly influenced by people who put in orders and wanted Ledika to design and create certain hats for them; their suggestions made her products more unique and appealing. Word spread fast, and in no time, the orders flocked in. All these events unfolded from 2011 onwards, and in 2014, the company, Ledikana Creations, was formally registered.

In the years that followed, the company grew at a remarkable rate, and new product offerings were explored. To date, Ledikana Creations has a store in one of Johannesburg’s posh malls, Melrose Arch, two International Airport stores, an online store, and an outlet that they supply in Cape Town.

In 2015, she got exposed to Proudly South African, started doing her research about how the organization can assist her dream, and officially registered with them in 2016.

“It’s a very big organization, and I’m very proud to see how they’ve helped entrepreneurs, including myself, to grow. Through their various support and referral platforms, I’ve been improving over the years as a businesswoman, just as my business has been growing.” Ledika continued.

“Ever since I’ve been a member of Proudly South Africa, the Buy Local Summit seems to be growing every year, improving and attracting more exhibitors and local and international visitors. Exciting things are coming with every year that passes. Being a member gives one’s product some sort of leverage in the market, customers are able to trust in the quality and authenticity of our products.” – Ledika

Today, Ledikana Creations is a South African fashion and accessories brand, based in Johannesburg, specializing in the manufacturing of contemporary African garments, hats, and other fashion accessories. Their products are handmade and culturally inspired. Style and quality are at the forefront of the company’s manufacturing process.

“The plan is to become more sustainable by collaborating with other entrepreneurs within the industry doing great things and bringing ideas together, looking for more opportunities, and scaling up the business further.” – Ledika

Through this summit, Ledikana got exposed to other opportunities; last year, she was selected to be a judge for the Proudly South African Local Fashion Police show.

She believes the government is doing well to assist young entrepreneurs, but it’s just that most business minded people don’t know where to go to get relevant information. Proudly South Africa is a good starting point.

“It is a challenge to build a profitable business in these economic conditions. A few years ago, we were hit by the huge setbacks of COVID-19 lockdowns, loadshedding, and ever-increasing high interest rates, but now we just continue to have faith in the almighty and hope our entrepreneurial creative juices don’t run out. We face different challenges as we grow as people; during the time when the business started, the biggest challenge was access to the market and understanding the market. As an entrepreneur with a young product offering, all you can do is put yourself and your products out there.”

Through exposure, mentoring, and training received from Proudly South Africa, entrepreneurs are able to face various challenges and win over them.

“I believe one should always follow their passion, because when you do something that you love, you don’t even feel like it’s a business.” Ledika concluded.

For more information on their contemporary African garments, hats, and other fashion accessories, visit: https://ledikana.com/

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