Komani-born man creates app to market township-based brands
Komani born-and-bred, Sandisiwe Nkomba has designed a smart application (app) to sell and buy clothes online in his mission to change the SA township story, inspire positive change and honour loved ones who died.
Nkomba wants to boost local brands.
Nkomba grew up in Madeira Park and matriculated from Hexagon High School before spreading his wings and heading for the University of Cape Town to study electrical and computer engineering.
He said: “In 2022, I lost my brother and my dad and which subsequently led to me finding my purpose. It made me realise how life is fragile and how change is needed.
“The environment my brother also grew up in, which is iKasi (township) and all of that, had a huge impact on shortening his life. What drives me is to change that, to change the narrative of the SA township and to also inspire change.”
He said he wanted combined the app with his passion for clothing and his fashion “swag”.
Nkomba started working on the app in 2021. The first platform was launched in 2022 as the magazine Nawe Fashion Magazine which he said resonated in Cape Town with students.
He realised the app could promote local brands, giving them visibility, accessibility and credibility. “I saw a gap and realised we can accelerate the fourth industrial revolution in SA through creating a digital platform for local brands.
“The Nawe app was created as a digital platform to accelerate the development of local and national brands.”
The app was aimed at encouraging shoppers to buy local brands. When it was completed in October 2023 he pitched it to Apple Store and Google Play. “For now, the app is available on Apple IOS and I am still trying to get it to Google Play Store. I am coming back home to Komani and I want to plough my roots here before going anywhere else. My mission at this time in my life is here in Komani.”
He said he was in talks with people to have their brands marketed on Nawe App, which will display items and prices.