Copyright Š 2020 by Jean-Marie Rossouw Rights reserved. This document may be downloaded for personal use; users are forbidden to reproduce, republish, redistribute, or resell any materials from this document in either machine-readable form or any other form without permission from Jean-Marie Rossouw or payment of the appropriate royalty for reuse. This project is in collaboration with Unyazi Designs. All information regarding the business is copyrighted to Unyazi Designs. All watch designs and strap artwork designs are copyrighted to Unyazi Designs. Book design by Jean-Marie Rossouw Photographs by Jean-Marie Rossouw Email: jeanmarierossouw@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION With everything that had been going on in terms of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020, our economy and communities were on the brink of failing. People were left with no income, jobless, and with no way to support their families. This is what made me look directly towards my collaboration partner, Samkelo Nyakambi. An entrepreneur who had a dream to create a timepiece that tells the African Narrative in a contemporary art form proudly made in South Africa. What made me focus on Samkelo is the fact that he is an entrepreneur who is helping others around him. We tend to forget the role our entrepreneurs play in our economy and community. With this being said it is evident that entrepreneurs are there to create change within the economy and even their community. Entrepreneurs look at the negatives and the positives in order to create that spark that would drive them to create and build their innovation. When I started this project I first thought of it as a collaboration to
help both parties gain exposure through our journey together but as the year went on and the coronavirus pandemic hit the world I found a deeper meaning and vision for myself as a photographer and the entrepreneurs around me. By challenging myself to develop, design, photograph, and style everything independently I found a passion and strength to help those around me. From this project and the process I’ve gone through I found a passion to help the entrepreneurs around me in reimagining how they look at their brand and the potential their brand holds. I believe that with the platform I have as an individual it's important for me to use that platform to raise others and shed light on those who do not only aid our country’s economy but their community within it. These are our job creators and they have the potential to bring change within communities and build a better future for us all. What is important to understand is that no matter how small your idea is, big things have small beginnings.
CONTENTS
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MEET THE FOUNDER Samkelo Nyakambi
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MEET THE TEAM Samkelo Nyakambi Asanda Mini
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THE WATCHES The uMuzi Collection
H OW I T A L L STA RT E D From being an IT graduate that felt that coding wasn’t feeding his creativity Samkelo decided to teach himself how to do beadwork through watching online tutorials. As Sam continued his research he found a gap in the industry and noticed that the beadwork he was creating could be used to a whole new level. An entrepreneur who had a dream to create a timepiece that tells the African Narrative in a contemporary art form. From long hours and remaining patient, Samkelo made the first Unyazi Design timepiece prototype using only thread and a handmade mechanism he had made himself and from this Unyazi Designs was born.
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MEET SAMKELO NYAKAMBI
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF UNYAZI DESIGNS
CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF UNYAZI DESIGNS
About Samekelo Samkelo Nyakambi was born and raised in the Western Cape in Cape Town. He is a young South African self-made entrepreneur looking to tell African stories to the world through his innovation. Samkelo is a great example of how he collaborates with his community by offering women in his community the chance to learn a new skillset and receive an income to help them financially support their families.
THE OLD BISCUIT MILL MARKET
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Unyazi Designs was created to showcase African stories to the world by using some of the top quality Ndebele beads on the market. Beads have been used within the African culture for over centuries and plays an important role within their community. Each bead differs in colour and therefore represents different meanings among their tribes. Unyazi Designs aims at redefining how an African luxury is perceived within the world.
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THE TEAM OF UNYAZI DESIGNS
MEET THE TEAM
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THE TEAM Samkelo Nyakambi Creative Director
"I have always been interested in becoming an entrepreneur and sharing African stories. I graduated from the College of Cape Town on Information Technology/ Computer Science and worked for a year in the industry, but I resigned. After having an idea to start my own creative fashion house company that would be able to inspire young township boys and also take the world by storm."
Asanda Mini Financial Director/Designer
Asanda is a UCT graduate she is an aspiring CA (SA) currently doing her articles at BDO Inc. Creating a new identity that redefines the way African Luxury is perceived, be at the frontier of beaded straps in the world by involving our community.
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THE OLD BISCUIT MILL MARKET
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Each timepice that is created is carefully handcrafted to ensure quality and consistency. Using only thread, scissors, a lighter, and a sewing needle that is used until it is completely unrecognisable, the Unyazi Designs team develops these premium timepieces using simple tools but executes excellent craft skills.
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MEET THE TEAM
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The Watches
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THE PREMIUM THE FIRST PREMIUM WATCH DESIGN
We love exploring new designs that create fun, elegance, and stylish beaded straps. The beads are woven and detailed to the last string to ensure the straps are strong. Our inspirations are the colours and patterns from KwaNdebele, because it has been passed down from generations. It was used to communicate the apartheid times which were challenging for all South Africans. To complete the narrative of Unyazi Designs we have locally produced a watch first of its kind with beads inside the dials. 18
The uMuzi Collection inspired by the Maasai Culture The beaded straps are from a warrior in the Maasai clan which is of great importance as a source of pride in the Maasai culture. “It is impossible to find a man who has everything but it is possible to find one who enjoys the things he has�. (Maasai Proverb) Africa our beautiful home.
Mama’ Mahalangu Home inspired by the Ndebele Tribe Each bead differs in representation depending on its colour. This timepiece is made with royal blue, black, white, and orange. Royal blue represents loyalty, black represents strength, and endurance, white represents health, and orange represents warmth, generosity and friendship. The male members of the family hold a mock fight (thamba), using long whips and shields, as part of initiation rites to honor their younger brother in seclusion.
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Mzilikazi Watch Story Inspired by the Ndebele Tribe A design that connects two tribes, the Zulu and Ndebele tribe. Mzilikazi was the name of their first king and was known to be considered one of Southern Africa’s greatest king. Mzilikazi is translated to "the great road".
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Brown Watch Story Inspired by the Ndebele Tribe Out of the increasingly harsh application of apartheid legislation, the women from Kwa Ndebele expressed everything through art. Joyful art and surely by any standards extraordinary. The art does not portray realistically the hardship of Ndebele life, but they do show the orderliness of living and artistic tradition that has endured despite the insecurity. Our beaded straps tell the tales of Kwa Ndebele.
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Maasai Watch Story Inspired by the Maasai Tribe The beaded straps are from a warrior in the Maasai clan which is of great importance as a source of pride in the Maasai culture. The Maasai watch represents many different colours representing certain qualities within the tribe. This watch is built of red, orange, yellow, royal blue, and black. The red represents blood and bravery, orange represents warmth, generosity, and friendship, yellow represents the sun, fertility, and growth. The royal blue represents loyalty, and black represents strength and endurance.
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Umbhaco Watch Story Inspired by the Xhosa Tribe Umbhaco is a certain material used in the Xhosa culture that is commonly used for formal and informal ceremonies. On a day where a special occasion would take place African Xhosa women wear black and white attire to show and express their joy within.
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CUSTOMISE YOUR OWN At Unyazi Designs we aim at making a timepiece that everyone can enjoy by giving the customer the freedom to design their very own custom-designed watch strap. Anything from PacMan to a piano.
Unyazi Designs not only provides these beautiful timepieces but has also infused culture within technology. Depending on the smartwatch, Unyazi Designs can create a breathable and comfortable strap highly recommended for runners and style.
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@unyazi_designs
www.unyazidesigns.com