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Gorata Nage Motingwa is an enthusiastic 19-year-old woman who is doing extraordinary things at a young age.
Calling herself ‘Sebaga sa Africa’, she has a clothing line called ‘Basha Langu’. Sebaga sa Africa means the African Bead.
“’Basha Langu’ was inspired by my love for the youth and their love for fashion. Hence ‘Basha Langu’, meaning our youth ÔÇô ‘our’ means as a brand we have a sense of belonging to the youth,” says Motingwa.
She attributes her rapid growth, literally, to her tendency to spend time with people who she sees as more mature than her.
From them she learns that by being responsible she will definitely realise her dream. She has embraced her African culture so much that she creates clothes for young people that have the purpose of instilling the African culture.
One look at the clothes she makes and the way she dresses instantly reminds one of the beautiful fabrics Africa has and how versatile they can get. Motingwa acknowledges how lucky she is to have family members who travel because she makes them realise how she sees the map of Africa as a canvas. “Wherever one travels in Africa they should bring a piece of that country with them, and what better souvenir than African fabric. That is mostly how I end up with the collection of material I have, which when bought from the host country comes reasonably priced,” Motingwa says.
She is also studying towards her Business Enterprise Degree at Botswana Accountancy College. Thus if she is not in class she is behind the needle.
Motingwa studies that particular course because she one day wants to be able to eat from her clothing brand. The only way to see this through is for her to study the ways of business.
“I am optimistic that as a country we are getting somewhere because local brands like Mafia Soul who are already established do take an interest in what I do and want to support my brand,” she says.
Motingwa learns at BAC that she needs to have countless marketing strategies in order to succeed in what she trades in. One of her marketing strategies is having brand ambassadors.
“I have a radio personality at Yarona Fm called Mdu that is always dressed in Basha Langu, a freelance model Ludo, a Head Chef Mompati Nage, Lethabo Rasebotsa who is a local Disc Jockey that plays a lot in South Africa and Kenny Lenong who I call my young cooperate assassin because he is the youngest cooperate manager I know,” says Motingwa.
She picked these as her brand ambassadors because she associates their loudness and spontaneity with the African fabric. “You can’t miss its loudness!” she exclaims.
She said having had five fashion shows already is a step in the right direction towards achieving her goals. “To be asked for a showcase and be able to pull it off in time trains me to work within set targets,” she said. Motingwa loves the challenge of being able to juggle her studies with Basha Langu because these are the two avenues in her life that she really needs to see flourish. She has a dream to one day have a family and she reckons a child at age 30 is ideal in her books, and God willing she would be grateful for another one two years later.
Motingwa believes one should forever dare to be different because it is monotonous to replicate what others do, and dare to dream because you can only dream what you can do. “If you saw it in a dream than you can make it possible in real life,” affirmed Motingwa.
