The Kurapt 85 clothing brand is derived from kurapt, an American clich├® which means “financial freedom”. It is a result of talent consolidation supported by passion, creativity, hard work and ‘hustle’, an informal marketing strategy. However, the phonetic equivalent of Kurapt, which some would say is “Corrupt”, holds negative marketing connotations very few prudent businesses would like to be associated with.
This is the reason why the company called Kurapt 85 was registered in 2006 by 22-year old Fhoster Manyaapelo, Managing Director and founder, who built it from scratch. According to Manyaapelo the two sets of wings on the company logo symbolize that financial success can be achieved through association with the Kurapt 85 brand.
Manyaapelo says the company was registered as Kurapt 85 in honour of an elder sister, Gorata, who was born in 1985. Gorata, who runs a successful modeling agency in Gaborone, became not only an inspiration but role model who breathed life into the business concept at a time when it was still dormant in the entrepreneurial teenage mind.
“In 2006, Gorata compared my Form III Tie and Dye Art Project as an inspiration from the legendary 19th century Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer who spent most of his adult life in France,” Manyaapelo stated. “She was convinced the Project involving a lot of research and teacher input and had occupied a greater part of the second school term, had revealed beyond doubt that I should pursue Art more as a profession than an academic subject.
“Simultaneously, I also realized for the first time that since primary school I had not only obtained higher grades in Art but also developed an intrinsic passion for painting and drawing. Since my sister had sown the seed for the business concept, the onus lay on me to pursue Art more vigorously.”
Manyaapelo says the whole family stood four square behind the business concept. Likewise, when his maternal aunt, Serwalonyana Manyaapelo learnt of his keen interest to start a branded t/shirt business venture, she gave him P500 as start-up capital. He said, however, without consultation, decided to shelve the idea for at least two years as he was only 16. He believed that possibly after the completion of Form V the attainment of 18 years would compensate for his tender age.
“My aunt came fuming one day after she was convinced I had squandered the money on petty consumables. Little did she know that I had exercised strict fiscal discipline and locked the money safely away in a drawer, no one had access to. To prove the point, I bought four t/shirts to enter the Naledi Senior Secondary School (NSS) Fashion Show, then an annual event. Although I fared dismally in the Show, mainly due to the fact that my Kurapt 85 brand suffered the weakness of a new brand, it gave me the resolve to save more money and soldier on.”
However, due to a bereavement the family suffered soon after the completion of Form V, Manyaapelo had to shelve Kurapt 85 indefinitely after contributing his share towards funeral expenses. It was also during this time that he took a job as a conductor on the family kombi business. The primary aim was to shed off his shy approach and gain a more courageous attitude and people focused networking and, secondly, to save as much as possible from the monthly salary for re-starting the business. In 2008, he finally made Kurapt 85 bounce back after paying P120 to cover formal registration. In addition, Manyaapelo said he outsourced a printer capable of reproducing the design and logo on a wide range of fabrics.
Having encountered a couple of setbacks, he says, Kurapt 85, though limping financially, was officially launched in 2009, graced by high-powered personalities and DJ’s to provide the entertainment. Dwelling on the success of the launch, he acquired more merchandise and engaged a vigorous advertising campaign on radio and newspapers. Sales increased both at home and in South African retail outlets that had been lured by the brand.
Whenever the company ran out funds, he would turn to investments such as stock market shares he had acquired as a shrewd investment against unforeseen financial bottlenecks. In 2011, Kurapt 85 sponsored a women and men’s 8 aside football team named after the company. Although the team has never gone beyond the preliminary group stage, it is currently preparing for the September 2012 Bank of Botswana football tournament where it hopes to reach at least the quarter finals.
The fact that Manyaapelo is now a Fashion and Apparel Design Associate Degree holder who will be graduating in October 2012 at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) gives impetus to the venture.
To have a comprehensive business approach, he is currently studying for a degree in Marketing and Advertising with LUCT. He says Kurapt 85 has been in existence since 2007 and holds potential to compete with some of the region’s sought-after-competing brands within the next five years at the current consumption momentum. He revealed that if the contract deal with an upmarket retailer in Bloemfontein, South Africa is concluded, the Kurapt 85 brand, which already enjoys considerable popularity within the surrounding Free State University student community, will gain additional market grip.
“I intend to use South Africa as a leverage platform for other regional markets. Within the next five years, the aim is to make Kurapt 85 go mainstream in the primary market and then easily flow to other regional markets as a successful brand. In the process, we also hope to improve fashion and modeling, tapping on the abundance of new talent as a show casing platform. As a corporate citizen, we would like to join other entities in providing assistance to other marginalized Batswana.”
