A couple of years ago, Laduma Mgxokolo started working on his thesis statement in Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The main subject of his project was “a viable and sustainable market place based on a centuries-old tradition of South Africa’s Xhosa people.” Interestingly, while performing his investigation, he noticed that there was a huge market gap in this culture due to the ritual they perform where men transition to manhood. Xhosa men between the ages of 18 and 25 go through this ritual in which they are circumcised and to represent part of this transition they get rid of all their old clothes and get a new wardrobe for their new “manly” self.

Of course, you may think about how a student was able to start such a big business while still having limited capital and paying for his studies. Well, all it took was an action plan. Laduma teamed with Port Elizabeth wool and mohair trade and his university lent him 10,000 seed money. His products are recognized by their bold colours, fancy materials, and excellent quality. In fact, it grew so popular that women started demanding products since it reflected so purely their culture.

With his entrepreneur vision, Laduma continued his education after paying his debt and won a two-year WeTransfer Scholarship to study for a master’s degree in Material Futures at the Central St. Martins in London. This marked an extremely important moment for him since he entered contact with Europe’s fashion world. He was given the possibility of showcasing collections at the Palazzo Morando Show in Milan. His performance was so outstanding that the next year, a famous designer named Chivas Regal asked him to create their 2016 limited edition 18-Year-Old packaging. It was here when Laduma exceeded expectations and created a re-interpretation of the iconic Aran fisherman’s sweater. His fame has only grown from there.

Today, Laduma sells on his online fashion store http://www.maxhosa.co.za. He has outlets internationally in countries like South Africa Paris and Japan. His great capacity has many believing that this man could become the next Giorgio Armani. What do you think?