Featured Entrepreneur
Themba Makamo
Founder, VAYA Footwear
From township roots to international manufacturing, he built VAYA into a proudly African sneaker brand.
This profile is part of the RFTT entrepreneur archive, where lived entrepreneurial journeys are translated into structured insight for institutions, educators, and ecosystem partners.
Mini Bio
Entrepreneur Details
Themba Makamo is an award-winning South African entrepreneur and founder of Vaya Footwear, a black-owned sneaker brand known for blending township street style with global design appeal. Before entering the footwear industry, he worked as a journalist and owned a public relations firm, experiences that sharpened his storytelling and brand-building skills. His entrepreneurial journey began in youth with small township ventures, reflecting a lifelong drive for independence and innovation. Themba has become a notable figure in South Africa's growing sneaker culture, emphasising empowerment, creativity, and community upliftment through fashion.
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