Introducing one
of our favorite locally branded jewelry designers based in Johannesburg. The
Legacy of True Beauty is happy to have collaborated with Naledi Mazabane for our
upcoming future events in empowering women in the fashion industry. Naledi Mazabane started “Sophia Bali” five years ago, but which was established 4 years ago. “Sophia Bali” is a contemporary African jewelry brand that is a
reflection of a woman's past, present, and seeks on what she wants to be. These many facets of a woman are mirrored in
our jewelry, through the use of color, designs and materials used. The core
product is jewelry, although the long-time goal is to become a lifestyle
brand.
Naledi is a passionate
young black African woman, full of energy, full of spirit, full of life. She is
passionate about the arts and she loves dance, music and theater. “I am a lover of ideas, an observer, a
thinker and a problem solver, this kaleidoscope of elements which allow me to be who I am and what I do”, in creating amazing jewelry”.
When Naledi started her business, she learnt some
lessons along the way that have made her a better person and better
businesswoman. The most important lesson she learnt was the level of sacrifice
when starting a business is the time and energy that is required when starting
out. “Starting a business is like entering a new phase in your life, you know it’s
coming but you are never really prepared for it because it’s new and unknown. It’s
a new experience, and you learn to manage and handle everything as it
comes your way, most of it is on the job training, and things that you
could not have learnt in school or have been taught”, Naledi says.
Besides the obvious issues of capital, getting into
business relationships or partnerships and not knowing what you want or need
from them it’s always a big lesson to learn. She had to learn how to manage her own
expectations and expectations that she had of other people she worked with. Another
one was balancing relationships with family, friends, and her partner and
learning how to trust herself on the decisions she makes, and being ready to
accept whatever the outcome will be.
When starting a business, it’s also important to
think about how you want to grow the business. For Naledi right now, the plan for
the medium long run is to focus on constantly feeding the creativity and
soul, developing the product and getting it to international standards. One of their
other focus areas is to ensure they are tending and growing their existing market
and building long and lasting relationships with their suppliers, taking care
of clients by offering the best service and product offering that they can. “The
more we focus on these points the more the business will grow and expand.
We do not want to be a hype, we are working on building a sustainable business
that will still be here 30 years on and longer”, she says.
Since she creates so many beautiful
things, she finds inspiration from different places. For Naledi, “there is a
multitude of people that inspire me, and for many different reasons. They
say it takes a village to raise a child and it is so true. This
particular village consists of dancers, musicians, artists, designers,
stylists, artisans, writers, actors, poets, everyday people. I have been raised
by this village of people, they have inspired my creative expression, inspired
my choices, inspired my decisions, inspired my school of thought, inspired my
strength.”
Final words to the young people out
there, Naledi says “know the difference between being a business person and
being an entrepreneur and who you are. Be disciplined, focused and remain true
to yourself always. Know what you want and need from other people, manage your
expectations. Learn to trust yourself and your decisions, and as hard as it
gets never give up because it got too hard!”
Naledi Mazabane & Tendai
Marowa
The Legacy Of True Beauty
www.tlotb.co.za
