Late last year after much deliberation I decided to give a social network that rhymes with “quitter” a trial. A couple of weeks later, the benefits proved more than I had bargained. It afforded me the privilege of knowing things as and when they unfold. Insight into whats hot and who's not. Insight into those who influence the people that influences you. So four months later on the social network, im like that cousin whos visit was supposed to be for a weekend and before you know it you are sharing closet space
A Couple of weeks ago i came across some tweets that hyped the launch of a watch brand called FLUD to hit our streets. With the amount of punting it got from the locals, I was naive enough to think one of our own was the mind behind this product, to which I was ready to buy one myself and a couple of clicks of research, I had egg on my face
Its much easier to take someone else’ brand which already has an appeal and a set marketing DNA and adapt it to S.A (after all we are part of a global community) but it really does nothing for us. Which made me take a second in thought and tip my hat to people who have succeeded in influencing pop culture. The fact that so few have procured this makes my mind comfortably lean on the fact that it cant be easy.
For my generation there was Loxion Culture, for these young’ins there is Amakipkip. Each to its generation provided a strong sense of identity, allowed us to be embodied yet not boxed. Whether you buy into the brand or not is irrelevant but the impression that Amakipkip has on our streets is unmitigated. When the Chinese find your product worth counterfeiting, id say your brand SHOULD be doing OK. Now whether the brand perception is matched in financial returns is a story for another day.
You are going to have to bare with me since the only thing I can make time for on TV is Greys Anatomy. Everything else ill catch on YouTube. If it ain't on YouTube? I guess it wasn’t that hot to begin with. So no, I never watched Street Journal nor did I catch a single episode of Real Goboza. My first introduction to the one half of Amakipkip, Siyabonga Ngwekazi was through his weekend breakfast radio show Siz n Scoop. How anyone over 23 can listen to the show? I hear you wondering. Well like everything else its in the art called filtering. As a loyal listener it was only a matter of time that Syabongas infectious personality would grow on me. His heart has completely won me over to the show.
Siya's rags to “doing not to shabby for himself” story is like many others. A man carried through tough times by his passions, talents and dreams. A lover of Basketball, Hip Hop and fashion. You can ignore a lot about him but you cannot ignore his eclectic sense of dress. His street dress sense is a culmination of Hip Hop culture meets basketball, the more “throwback”, the more he is likely to rock it. His formal dress sense straight out of Motown bravado. 
Like many of us who've seen or tasted the bitter taste of poverty, Siyas drive stems from his fear of being poor . As one of the founders of Amakipkip his awareness of the contextual view of clothing within South Africa is heartfelt. “In a country where majority of the people are poor, clothing brands become aspirational. So a lot of people know they might not get that car they want this year. But they can get that pair of branded jeans that they want ” says the 27 year old. To Rage.com he declared “I guess I’m always trying to be the first, even though I’ll encounter a lot of criticism”. A relentless self starter its easy to say success on one level or another was inevitable “Our business grew from some clients, to a room., to getting a stall in Rosebank, to the Magents shop, to a shop in Menlyn Mall and being at the OR Tambo Airport. We have grown, and its all thanks to the Joburg people, that’s what I love about Jozi. With the swagger and everything, now everyone is wearing it.”. Small beinnings should never be despised. The brand now has a nationwide reach through Cross Trainer stores
The fact that brands that are most active within youth and pop culture are alcohol promotions and cigarette brands is an insult to the great young minds of our generation. This ought to change. The sooner we start owning our brands within pop culture the more we can dictate the direction in which our culture is steered. The sooner we can own our deas, own our crafts. The more of us can echo the words of Siyabonga Ngwekazi in saying “I don’t dream no more, I'm living mine.”
Not many can say that Mr Ngwekazi, for that. WE SALUTE YOU.
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