On Friday, December 4th 20 year old fashion photographer Modisa Kodie launched his new fashion and lifestyle blog called ‘Being Brave with Kodie.’
With its release, the blog will cover events, high fashion, product releases and travel around Botswana and hopefully, as it grows, larger Southern Africa. By focusing on not only of international brand names but also local artists, he hopes to capture the unique styles of Botswana.
“Africa has so much talent and I want it to be shown to the world so that large sponsors can support it,” he says. Kodie wants to share what he has learned from the places he has gone and the people he has met.
The idea to create his own fashion blog came to Kodie in July of this year. As a fashion enthusiast and experienced fashion photographer, Kodie was asked by friends and fans to share his thoughts on the scenes and events that he documented. He has photographed street style fashion for Elle Magazine and A Fashion Friend Website. While driving back from Cape Town, he reflected on how putting himself out there had lead to success in his career.
“Being Brave,” he said, “and having confidence has given me so much. In Botswana, you can do anything you dream of. I want to inspire others to follow their passions.” He named his new blog Being Brave with Kodie with the hope of inspiring other potential bloggers.
Unlike many bloggers who use generic blog templates such as WordPress or blogger, Kodie wanted to invest in his own domain to give his blog a clean, professional display. The clean white background with pictures of the sea gives the page a minimalist look, keeping it simple and friendly for all users. “Generating income was one of the hardest parts of starting the blog because I am self-financing,” Kodie said, adding “I’ve had to work little jobs on the side to raise the funds. It is easy to do things half way, but I needed to invest in it first.” Finishing the blog was also stressful, with his friends constantly inquiring when it would be live. Though he hopes to attract big sponsors as the blog gains popularity, he is currently with Kaone Moremong, the T-shirt Company Drumkraal, and the restaurant Lush Nibbles.
Kodie is using social media networking to market and promotes Being Brave with Kodie by writing feature posts on popular blogs in Botswana and South Africa and sharing it on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. “Blogging is not taken seriously yet in Southern Africa, so I hope to change that culture.” One of the best ways to do that, he feels, is to be successful from the inside. As online blogging and social networking is still a relatively new trend, he has the chance to be on the frontline of this new industry. Kodie is currently a Bachelors of Arts student at the University of Botswana. His blog can be found at www.beingbravewithkodie.com.
