Meet Tiwi...
Those who never leave often times don’t understand why someone would choose to return home after living in a developed country. Our latest chat with Tiwonge (Tiwi) Gondwe explains her journey back home to eSwatini and her love story with fashion.
Tiwi first moved to the United Kingdom (UK) when she was 15 years old. Although she was young, she knew from the start that she would eventually move back to eSwatini. After living in the UK for more than a decade, Tiwi was ready to go back to the home she loved so that she could start her career in Development. The familiarity of eSwatini allowed her to work through her uncertainties about the future, reconnect with relatives in Zambia, reaffirm her relationship with God and ultimately, make a conscious decision to pursue entrepreneurship.
But the real question is how did she go from Development to Fashion. Tiwi’s brand is distinct and heavily influenced by the vintage style. She might have her mom to thank for sparking the brand Maverikz (formerly Tiwi’s Closet) because when she first moved to the UK her mom only shopped at charity shops. While vintage may be back in fashion now, at the time there weren’t many people who dressed like her in the English town in which she lived. However, this was deliberate because she wanted to stand out from everyone else; she wanted to be different.
Maverikz was established ten years ago as a blog where Tiwi shared her views on fashion, outfits of the day as well as tips for putting together an outfit. This blog has now grown into a styling and apparel business. The challenges to being an entrepreneur are nuanced for each context. Therefore, although the untapped nature of the fashion industry eSwatini brought along with it numerous advantages such as setting the tone and goal posts of the industry, it has also required significant investment to educate people on vintage clothing and investing in herself as a business owner. If Tiwi stayed in England she would not have set up this business because the market is saturated and consequently, highly competitive. In her own words, "It just felt like I was drowning in anonymity". However, establishing herself eSwatini has afforded her the opportunity to be part of international festivals such as Bushfire, pioneered the Malandela’s Market a sustainable lifestyle market which is changing the face of lifestyle events eSwatini.
In her own words, "Clothing is my life. Clothing helps me tell stories. They teach me history and they open doors for me". Tiwi is now seen as an expert in vintage clothing which allows her to reach people through business fairs and young people when she speaks at career symposiums.
Luckily for us, Maverikz is available to the South African market. However, Tiwi has plans to expand her brand's reach starting with Zambia. In the long run, her goal is to be an African fashion business consultant. This will effectively combine her love for fashion and passion for development.
Find out more about Tiwi here:)
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