Bantu Gold hails Mr Price experience
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Sunday March 12, 2023 06:00
Bantu Gold landed a Mr Price internship after impressing judges with their gorgeous jean infused with African print material clothing line at the Fashion Without Borders fashion show in October last year.
According to Bantu Gold founder, Lukundo Simpemba who recently came back home after the adventurous trip, they spent three weeks at Mr Price. “This programme was a chance for us to learn about the inner workings of a large fashion house such as Mr Price. We can then take some of their strategies and apply it to our own businesses.
God willing, anything is possible. Maybe we might at some point work with Mr Price,” Simpemba said. “We had the privilege of networking with everyone from the cleaners to directors, so anything is possible.
The programme was created in collaboration with Fashion Without Borders specifically for Batswana designers,” he said. Simpemba added that he saw first-hand the value of research, the importance of due diligence when it comes to suppliers, importance of building good supplier relationships and most importantly valuing his customers.
He also said the amount of resources that Mr Price pours into understanding their customers and their needs was unfathomable. He also said the team was very open and literally gave them the keys to the treasure box. He also pointed out that not once did they feel out of place and they had the privilege to ask questions where their curiosity kicked in but the Mr Price team answered all their questions and more. He said they were allowed to roam the offices. He added that he was still unpacking the knowledge he gained also saying it gave him more confidence to take his fashion company and the industry as a whole to new heights.
“On April 8, 2023 we will be debuting our new collection at Nelson Mandela Square in Johannesburg with Fashion Without Borders. Our site www.bantugold.com is active and performing well. You will be seeing us make some changes in how we operate due to the knowledge we have gained. But all in all we will be traveling more, making more fashion and having more fun. "I would like to say special thanks to Fashion Without Borders, not only for this programme but the work they have been putting in to grow the fashion industry. I would also like to encourage young designers to enter their showcases, as there is a lot to gain.
A Fashion Without Borders showcase is our equivalent of Paris Fashion Week. Thank you to all who have been supporting Bantu Gold, the journey has just begun,” he ended.