Denis Opudo
Swimma is a company that produces swimming caps for large hair styles and types. The company is located in Cape Town. A South African photographer called Nomvuyo Treffers established it. The idea came out when Treffers and her two daughters were unable to swim fearing hair spoilage. Given the fact that she had bountiful locks, they could not fit in the normal swimming caps. In case she swam without the cap, she had a rough time of having a blow dry. The problem noted in her daughters. Their hairs had grown tall that they longer fit in the normal caps or it was always uncomfortable for them.
The cap stretched and pulled their hair making the children fear swimming. The whole struggle to enjoy their swimming time led to the conceiving of the idea. Treffers had studied the idea before putting it into practice. For a start, she only made swim caps for herself and her two daughters. She later on expanded the business after two years. The idea to expand the business came after the good reception the initial caps received.
She had tweeted about the idea by posting the photos of the three of them with the caps. That led her to put up an online market in August 2016. The interest received showed the importance of swimming cap like Swimma. Treffers said that her wish was that she could have utilized the untapped market sooner. She intends to add swimsuits and bikinis for her business. She is sure of the market given the weight of attention the business has received so far. People love Swimma because it stands for representation and inclusion.
The initial idea was to serve people with black hair. But the customers are now ranging from different colors and races. Swimma caps are of different colors and shapes. One can buy the caps from various shops in African countries including UK and US. The main customers are from swim schools and restaurants. Treffers currently serves both the photography and business world. Although she admits that it’s not an easy ride it calls for a lot of focus.
