Success Mathekga is a young African entrepreneur from South Africa
The Mt Kenya Times 
Success Mathekga
Who is Success Mathekga?
Success Mathekga is a young African entrepreneur from South Africa I am the founder and creative director of Outfit Archive, driven by the consistent hunger to be successful.
- Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Pretoria, Mamelodi
- What inspired you to establish your brand Outfit Archive?
*The inspiration came a very long way when I was still doing my grade 8 in Hoerskool Staatspresident C.R Swart 2015, there was a guy who was known as Lethabo, the founder Layback Garments who started his own brand that year, I was surrounded by friends who came from stable families where they provided them with almost everything they wanted, expensive clothes and etc because I loved clothes so because I came from a decent family I couldn’t get that type of privilege so I first saw him (Lethabo) draw the logo on the wall at school so that’s where it all started I told myself that I wanna be like this guy but because I didn’t have the knowledge and experience of branding so I couldn’t start my own.
I remember in 2018 when I went to his studio to check if he could do beanies for me he wasn’t around by then so I was patient enough to wait for him to come back I then presented my first brand which was “CHEMICAL SPILL” and asked he could at least make 5 beanies for me, he graciously agreed to help me but insisted that I should come up with something better than what I had, I then went home dissapointed but at the same time I was motivated but then because I was ignorant I went to other brand owners and they helped with the beanies so months went by and business was very slow.
I could get 2 orders in 4 months and I ended up giving people free merchandise hoping for the better but still nothing happened, I then decided to get back to my drawing board, 2 years down the line (May 2020) I came up with the name “OUTFIT ARCHIVE” I then asked Lethabo via WhatsApp if he could print for me, sent him my logos and then agreed bought stock and went to the studio I presented the brand, he was impressed and also give me pointers and suggestions on how to make it better, 2 days later he then texted me to come collect my printed orders. A week later boom merchandise sold out, it was winter by then, I was so excited because orders kept on coming day by day event today people are still ordering, and even today I’m still inspired by his work as well as GALXBOY
- It is noted you are an event organizer, what kind of events do you organize and how do they relate with fashion?
This is more than just something major that happens at a specific time for entertainment Events help brands to reach a segmented public and then get the notoriety we aim for, In the same way, it also allows them to position themselves on the market. In the fashion industry, events have an important role. Besides, this is also the moment where the brand can use as many tools as possible. This, to grab the attention of its customers. In the same way, it can showcase many things in our lives and society. Some examples of this would be:
Lifestyle
Culture
Tradition
Needs
Status
Desire
Storytelling
- Lack of funds lead to young people quitting, what keeps you going?
Running a clothing brand without enough capital can be stressful sometimes especially without any sponsors it’s tough because you get factories that want only 50 MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) but luckily we have local suppliers who are quite costly but as for me I told myself when I started the brand that nothing will stop because I know what I want and I know what I am striving for. So nothing will stop me and here we’re pushing slowly but surely we getting there.
- In the next five years, where are you seeing yourself and Outfit Archive brand?
I see myself becoming my own boss and my brand having stores globally and nationwide and having our own Warehouse and creating job opportunities for the youth as well.
- What would you say to young aspiring entrepreneurs?
Be Ready for Financial Challenges
Almost every startup hits the ground because of one factor: COST. Duh. Running a business is expensive. So be ready to operate on the cheap, and be ready for every eventuality. Deal with cash flow hits by saving a month’s worth of expenses ahead of time, or by getting creative with how you lower your overheads. As part of your business plan, be sure to give yourself an adequate runway for success. Things like SEO take time. You can’t expect to be turning a profit with an online business three months out, at least not if you’re starting a site from scratch. If you don’t have the cash to survive, there’s no point starting out. And at all costs, avoid Debt.
Never Stop Learning
This is critical to success. The market is constantly changing. You should be, too. Starting your own business is a constant process of growth and learning. Teach yourself new skills, from SEO to writing to design to management and presentation. The more you know, the less you’ll have to pay others to do stuff for you, and the more you can understand the inner workings of the market. If you want to get into the entrepreneurial game, you need to be ready to go 110%, and that means signing up for a never-ending learning process.
- 8. As a soccer player who is your role model and why that person?
Kyle Walker is my role model. I have seen many videos of him and I learned a lot from watching him on YouTube. Yes, I can be similar to Kyle Walker. I want to be like Walker, running all the time. If I have to train more for that, I’ll do it.
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