VODACOM IS STEPPING OUT TO SUPPORT PROUDLY AFRICAN SNEAKER BRAND BATHU

Celebrate Heritage Month in style with South African shoemaker Theo Baloyi and Vodacom RED.

In celebration of creativity, innovation and heritage Vodacom RED has partnered with Theo Baloyi of the iconic shoe-brand Bathu. We caught up with Theo at their headquarters in Centurion, Gauteng to find out more about this exciting collaboration, as well as to learn about all that goes into his successful business.

After launching Bathu in 2015, following much research and sneaker manufacturing challenges in an unestablished market, thanks to grit, determination, and pulling on his experience and network as an accountant, the sneaker brand has grown exponentially with a number of celebrities and household brands supporting the business.

Theo Baloyi, Founder of Bathu shares, “I started my business from humble beginnings. In a room in Alex(ander) with a vision to build a shoe brand that Africans can proudly affiliate with, and while at it, reignite hope and create sustainable jobs.”

Five years on from establishing the local sneaker brand, they now employ over 250 people in the business and have 29 retail stores across the country.

“I think that conceptualising the Bathu brand and what I truly believed in was the fact that the world was ready for Africa. For the longest time, the world has been waiting for truly African brands and services to build eco-systems and value chains that the rest of the world can receive. I knew that this idea of building a shoe brand that Africans can proudly affiliate with, will be a great idea and will really work,” said Theo.

Vodacom RED plans have been created with people like Theo in mind, who are juggling many tasks and need to stay connected. Connectivity is everything for a business that aspires to survive in a challenging market, nevermind thrive.

Bathu’s partnership with Vodacom RED helps ensure the sneaker brand is always on, available for trade and ready to experience more. Whether that’s to engage with their customers through social media, interact with stakeholders through voice, data and video calls, manage inventory or transact in store, to ensure they maintain their standard of delivering the highest quality service and products.

“Vodacom RED helps to ensure that our connectivity is always on-point… from how we receive our orders, interact with our clients and we receive their orders,” comments Theo.

The added beauty of the revamped plans is the flexibility to choose your data and call minutes according to what suits one’s lifestyle, as well as the range of benefits that include fitness and travel discounts on international and domestic flights as well as local accommodation. Not to mention their New app for Red VIP customers called ‘Hey Iris’, a digital personal assistant that can help with booking flights, wedding arrangements, birthday parties, anniversaries and sending of gifts to loved ones, and more.

“The Vodacom RED partnership with Bathu brings much more confidence to local businesses. This is a collaboration that is going to help us drive the local, proudly South African narrative. It’s also really amazing to see big brands like Vodacom collaborating with local businesses like ours to enable us to tap into different markets and audiences to help expand and promote our brand,” comments Theo.

While on tour of the warehousing facility and the sneaker customisation lab, he shares that, “Our mission talks about reigniting hope and creating sustainable jobs. Right here you see the people that we have managed to employ in the business, and that are contributing and adding value to the bottom line of the business. When that grows, and the business grows, it’s because there are people behind the growth of the business and we continue to strive to be relevant and steadfast with our promise of creating jobs and reigniting hope.”

Here is a brand that is telling a beautiful South African story through their design, quality and colour.

“If you look at our colours they compliment all of the colours on the South African flag. It speaks to how we are and how we celebrate our heritage and how each and every colour tells the beautiful story of the rainbow nation that our country embodies,” shares the entrepreneur.

Take advantage of the Bathu partnership with Vodacom RED in celebration of heritage month. Switch to Vodacom RED VIP, and get 20% off a pair of proudly African Bathu sneakers of your choice.

Experience RED and Unlock More with Vodacom RED. Stand a chance to WIN 1 of 5 Bathu sneakers courtesy of Vodacom to celebrate your African heritage with truly African sneakers. To enter, comment on the post on our social media pages, and tell us what benefits you love most about the new #VodacomRED plans.
Competition closes at midnight on Saturday 25 September. Ts&Cs apply.

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