Our story began in a small studio attached to a warehouse in the Ga-Rankuwa township, north-west of Pretoria. With only two sewing machines and four community members who needed a source of income, our brand was born. Our need for affordable genuine leather products and our passion for social entrepreneurship brought our vision, and products, to life.

Making our own bags meant building a workshop, and that gave us the chance to do something about a much bigger problem. South Africa has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world. It isn’t about a lack of skill or willingness. The opportunities simply aren’t there. So we set up our workshop in Waltloo, Pretoria, just minutes from Mamelodi, and aimed to contribute by hiring 18-24 year olds with no job experience and training them to become skilled artisans.