At the age of 10, Yandisa Zuma has his own clothing brand called God’s Kids.
Growing up with the desire to become a leading South African fashion designer, Yandisa, from Mpophomeni Township, is already building his career.
As young as he is, he told The Witness that “only the sky is the limit”.
Having his own clothing line is the start of what he believes will pave the way for opportunities in the fashion industry.
Yandisa is the mind behind the beautiful print on his clothing brand, which currently has T-shirts and caps.
He explained that he sews plain T-shirts with the assistance of a skilled seamstress from Mpophomeni, who teaches him how to sew, and that he prints the logo on his items at a Howick shop.
God’s Kids is a brand that caters to children and youth, the name was chosen to express God’s love and appreciation.
Yandisa’s passion for fashion began at the age of eight.
He said he started observing how westernisation is taking a toll on the existence of most cultures in South Africa and he took advantage of that to make a name for himself.
Many factors, he said, hampered his journey to establish his own clothing brand.
Most of my peers did not see my vision, they would give words of discouragement but that did not prevent me from achieving the first step in my career.
I turned their words of discouragement into motivation. I have experienced that if you want to grow big, you should dream big.
In addition to being the founder of the clothing brand, Yandisa gives back to the disadvantaged people in his community.
He serves a lunch of sandwiches and juice on Sundays with the help of his mother, Thando Zuma.
Yandisa is inspired by David Tlale, a popular South African fashion designer who was born and raised by a single mother in the Gauteng township of Vosloorus.
He said Tlale is a true definition of the saying “Dynamite comes in small packages”.
Tlale is known for his craft. His work has been showcased at Cape Town Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, and Paris Fashion Week, and he has designed collections for major retailers such as Edgars.
Yandisa’s desire is to encourage more young people not to wait until they are too old to fulfill their dreams, because “time is money”.
He wishes to expand and reach out to many needy people across South Africa.
