What does it mean to be a Proudly South African company — beyond carrying the pretty logo? It has to go deeper, much deeper. It requires a company to be domiciled here and the bulk of its profits be spent locally. It must
be profitable, but in a country where four in 10 adults are jobless, creating employment must count toward getting the tick. Vision and a commitment to sustainable standards are also a must. This week the Mail & Guardian begins its occasional series, called Home Brew, to showcase those companies that get our very own label.
Four years ago, as the reality of freedom was beginning to take hold and South Africans were reconciling with one another and with the reality of being part of the Afri-can continent, Nkhensani Manganyi spied a gap in the clothing and lifestyle market. A writer and actress, Manganyi was also a television presenter with widespread appeal, and the obvious choice to be a spokesperson for the Face of Africa modelling contest that saw her traversing the continent in search of the next big thing in modelling.
But Manganyi was a new breed of South African, looking at Africa and the world with fresh eyes. She says she had always wanted to be part of something big. ”And on those trips it became clear what that thing was. I’d always had an interest in communication, branding, positioning and advertising. And in how the gatekeepers of industry didn’t understand their markets. Which is why you had commercials where black people said things like: ‘It’s dee-lee-shahs!’ and then they expect us to rush out and buy those products.”
The big thing Manganyi cottoned on to was that no one was tapping into — or branding and packaging —the urbanised African energy she knew existed, because she was part of it.
”I wanted to create something that would be a voice for a new generation; for a new Afro-urban culture that was starting to brew. There was this notion of what township and black life was all about. And then there was the real thing, where my contemporaries lived and were interested in global interests but still had a strong sense of being African.
”On those trips I got in touch with that sophisticated thing that exists in all Africans: the ability to make something out of nothing. That thing you see in textiles, arts, crafts and sculpture. And it’s struggle and pain that creates these beautiful things. And people want to wear their ideologies. The way you dress is an expression of who you are.”
So Manganyi, armed with the desire to create a lifestyle brand intent on celebrating freedom, history and identity, set about convincing the money-men to bankroll her idea.
”I put together the concept and identified the people and got the business plan and the funding. And had to come up with a vision.”
She approached the almost unknown Meeg bank for start-up funding and Stoned Cherrie was born from R300 000.
With more and more people cashing in on the ”conscious fashion” bandwagon, it is easy to forget that Stoned Cherrie was the innovator; the store that dared to put Steve Biko’s image on a fashionable T-shirt. It was the first to produce funky, fashionable, contemporary ethnic wear for big-bottomed girls with disposable income.
Stoned Cherrie, most people would agree, does not come cheap. Its A-line skirts, now almost a mandatory item on the rails of most local designers, were the first really fresh interpretation of traditional Xhosa apparel.
And then there were the Drum T-shirts that evoked memories of a bygone era when urban blacks were coming to voice and the jackboots of the apartheid machinery were beginning to crush the seeds of revolution.
Manganyi’s true genius lay in her ability to use history, politics and nostalgia as leverage to commercial success, and in her ability to elevate township slang, cheek and ghetto chic and to introduce them to a new arena.
”I think for the first time we were brave enough to present fashion as something that was not just about frivolous clothes. That it was about making a statement, about making culture and history part of popular culture. And it was South African. So it was presented at a time when South Africa didn’t appear on the world stage of fashion. And it is about saying: you don’t have to regurgitate the West to be current.”
Today it seems almost inconceivable that there was a time when Stoned Cherrie did not occupy the prime spot in one of Jo’burg’s busiest malls, within spitting distance of some of its most popular eateries and above one of the biggest retail chain stores in the country.
Woolies, as Woolworths is affectionately known, is synonymous with fleeces, fresh food and one-stop shopping for suburban matrons in search of quality goods. And next month the brand built on celebrating once-scary political ideologies and revolutionary Black Consciousness leaders will be available in that very chain store.
The retail giant has thrown its weight behind two other South African designers aside from Manganyi. From next month consumers will be able to purchase clothes designed by Craig Native and Maya Prass at selected stores. Neither Manganyi nor Woolworths would divulge the financial details of the deal.
Stoned Cherrie’s association with Woolworths has cemented one of the most remarkable small business success stories. With just 10 full-time employees, including Manganyi, Stoned Cherrie has remained a small business in spite of its commercial success. Manganyi, the creative director, oversees a team of designers and farms out the designs to pockets of beaders and seamstresses throughout the Jo’burg CBD who complete the garments.
The miniscule nature of her operation means that questions about whether or not her company has a ”triple bottom line” elicits uproarious laughter. It is an ideal she identifies with and strives for, says Manganyi, but not one she can lay claim to just yet. She points to her staff loyalty as evidence of her fair labour practice.
”I don’t think I’d have the loyalty I’ve had through the difficulties, if I abused my staff. I’ve had people who are totally committed and who want to be part of the success stories.”
Stoned Cherrie’s seemingly easy breakthrough into the mainstream of South African retail will soon be duplicated by a foray into the Spanish mainstream. While cagey about the details, Manganyi is clearly excited about the upcoming visit of buyers for a large Spanish retailer.
The deal is the outcome of an initiative by former trade and industry minister Alec Erwin and the Department of Trade and Industry to encourage and stimulate trade between the two countries. The department facilitated meetings between local suppliers and Spanish buyers and Stoned Cherrie is set to benefit.
The gap Manganyi identified in 2000 is far from being filled. Her plans for Stoned Cherrie include developing the lifestyle component of the brand and branching into shoes, underwear and skin care.