Walking His Journey

Founder of Bathu, Theo Baloyi, takes us through his journey of leaving a lucrative career to establishing his own successful sneaker business

Theo Baloyi is now a household name, but where does he hail from? Tell us a bit about your background.

I was born and raised in Phake, Hammaskraal, by my parents and later moved to Alexandra while furthering my studies in Accounting. I was fortunate enough to join PwC South Africa, where I served two years here at home and another three years in the Middle East, before taking a hard but fulfilling decision to fully focus on my business, founding Bathu. I’m a down-to-earth and ambitious guy who is always striving to do better than the previous day. I am rooted in the ekasi lifestyle.

How did your Bathu journey start, and did you always envision yourself as an entrepreneur?

The journey started about five years ago at a Dubai airport. I have always been a young professional in pursuit of achieving my entrepreneurial dreams. As much as I am a big dreamer, I never envisioned all this growth, but I know that it is by His grace.

What made you believe the idea could work?

I am a sneaker-head myself, and growing up I was loyal to specific brands. I was also fortunate to be at the right place at the right time when I saw immense foot traffic from the French, during my layover in Dubai, to a French store in the duty -free section. It was amazing to see how people supported and preferred a brand that resonated with them from back home. All these snippets of events made sense, and I thought the idea would work, as I couldn’t find any local sneaker on the African continent that could be benchmarked with other international brands.

How do you want people to feel when wearing your brand?

Our tag line is “Walk your journey” and that’s exactly what we want people to feel when wearing Bathu. I want people to feel like their personal journey to greatness has begun. I want people to feel like they can achieve everything they set their mind to when wearing a Bathu.

What is it about your sneakers that makes people fall in love with them?

The comfort and innovative design of our sneakers, the colours that

can be worn with any outfit, and the versatility of our design which speaks to a person pairing them with a jean, dress, suit, jeggings, etc.

Tell us about your relationship with Somizi.

Back when I was trying to establish the Bathu brand, I earmarked certain celebrities who could assist with pushing it. One day, I went to SABC Radio Park and asked Somizi if he could wear the sneakers and post photos. He didn’t give me a straight answer, but I was hopeful when he took the shoes. Somizi has always been straightforward and accommodating; we have honest conversations that offer motivation and guidance. He has phenomenal drive and is a breath of fresh air in supporting the growth of our business.

How did your collaboration with Somizi come about?

A few weeks after we met, Somizi wore the sneakers and tagged us on social media while attending the glamorous fashion event, The Durban July. People loved them and started referring to them as the “Somizi shoe”. That sparked the idea. The collaboration was a natural connection as we both had the same vision.

Which designer would you like to collaborate with in the future?

It would have to be David Tlale.

Your career is growing in leaps and bounds. what are you most proud of ?

Being selected for secondment in the Middle East and having walked my journey at one of the top accounting and advisory firms in the world. My career highlight is contributing to making a change.

What keeps you going?

Seeing the difference that the business is making in the lives of our employees, and watching our suppliers growing their businesses because of our growth.

What can we expect from Bathu in the future?

Growth, new innovative designs and greater reach to our customers. ■

As much as I am a big dreamer, I never envisioned all this growth, but I know that it is by His grace