AfriBlossom

Owners: Bonolo Mataboge and Siphiwe Sithole Start-up costs: About R300k Turnover: About R500k a year

Bonolo Mataboge loves fashion. She’s been designing clothes since she was 12, and went to the London International School of Fashion when she left school. However, she had to leave due to illness and her big plans were put on hold – but not for long. Her mother, Siphiwe Sithole, who she now calls her ‘Momager’, inspired her to start her own company in 2014, when she was just 19. Today, AfriBlossom is a booming body-positive womenswear brand for the curvaceous, cosmopolitan, African woman.

‘When I was 16 I went to the US on exchange and found clothing shopping as a big girl easier there. That’s when I decided to become a plus-size fashion designer,’ says Bonolo. ‘I didn’t want to wait for an international brand to “save us” from the bad fashion that plus-size women are subjected to in South Africa.’

Growing up in a home where her mother was the very definition of an entrepreneur, it was a no-brainer for Bonolo to start a company, with her mom’s guidance and an injection of capital – Siphiwe invested R50 000 to help get AfriBlossom off the ground.

Born and raised in a town outside of Malelane in Mpumalanga, Siphiwe has been ‘hustling’ (as she puts it) from the beginning to raise her two daughters, who often helped out in their mother’s various businesses.

‘I’ve worked in public relations and marketing, and spent the past eight years with a listed financial services company,’ says Siphiwe. ‘My corporate career took me across SA, which has come in handy for the business.’

Bonolo is the driving force behind

‘Our aesthetic is purposefully sexy, to show off the awesome curves we’re blessed with.’

the label, from creative direction to production management. She’s also the face of the company.

‘I often have to step in front of the camera to sell the brand on social media. I also establish and maintain relationships with boutiques that stock our clothes,’ says Bonolo. ‘My mother is in charge of marketing; she guards her investment, making sure I succeed! She’s the person who insists I stay positive when business is slow or things don’t go according to plan.’

AfriBlossom is unique in that it offers plus-size clothing for a hybrid range, bridging the gap between African and Western clothing, and carrying sizes from 34 to 50.

‘AfriBlossom stands for embracing your curves,’ says Bonolo. ‘We don’t hide under layers of fabric; we use creative pattern-making to accentuate our best assets and hide the bits we don’t like so much. Our aesthetic is purposefully sexy, to show off the awesome curves we’re blessed with. Our autumn/winter 17 collection is called Tribal Flamenco, and merges African and Latin cultural influences.’

Working with her mother for the past few years has felt like working with her best friend, says Bonolo.

‘It doesn’t always feel like work when we’re together. My mom knows what I want and need, and helps keep me focused when my mind goes crazy with a million ideas!’

‘I love being there every step of the way with my daughter in her journey to build her clothing label, and being able to offer guidance,’ says Siphiwe.

AfriBlossom is available at The Space at The Zone, Rosebank and Clearwater Mall in Joburg and 32_Flavors Groove Boutique in Bloemfontein. There are plans to expand into Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe.

‘My goal is to run a plus-size empire,’ says Bonolo. ‘I’ve also expanded into writing romance novels with bbw (big, beautiful, women) protagonists. I’m signed up with a US-based publisher and my first book, Tapped Out, is available on Amazon. We’re bringing plus-size to the mainstream – it’s all about letting curvy women know that they’re beautiful and have a place in the fashion world.’