Denis Opudo
Theo Baloyi is a Johannesburg-based entrepreneur who owns the trendy sneaker brand, Bathu that is the talk of the South African township. Baloyi is a 28 years old accountant by profession who hails from Phake near Hammanskraal, serves as the founder and chief executive of Bathu.
In township lingo, Bathu means a shoe in South Africa and the brand was developed in 2015. He identified the niche in the sneaker business, but he was against importing sneakers.
His inspiration came from the French entrepreneurs who established themselves in the sneakers industry and as a result, he challenged himself as an African to create his story.
According to the founder, the sneakers are unique due to their stunning mesh edition design that can blow air into the feet of the wearer. Moreover, the sneakers’’ sole and the rubber have conspicuous colors just like the happy socks fashion trend. The reason for such conspicuous colors was deliberate. The sneakers came in different colors such as pink, grey, light blue, and navy blue with pricing ranging between R900 and R1200. The product was launched during the spring season of 2016.
Previously, Baloyi worked for PwC for five years, two years in South Africa and three years in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai. However, he resigned from the company he worked to commit fulltime to Bathu. On the first launch, the brand’s website crashed because it had high traffic of people wanting to see the new brand in the market than projected. Afterward, they collaborated with an alcohol brand make 1000 more pairs and another 1600 pairs of limited edition sneakers, which came in, color white. Three months ago, the brand moved into a bigger warehouse, which was more secured with better insurance.
In such a short time, the shoe brand has gained popularity among South African celebrities as well as among the citizens. The growth of the Bathu brand has seen the company expand its reach and delivery into Swaziland, Zambia, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe. The South African celebrities are most common people enjoying this brand, and Baloyi asserts that it is because they like and appreciate the brand. Additionally, this brand is likable because the story behind it is relatable among every person and that they take pride in being a part of the brand.
