Malapa Halekane ~ The Brand That Speaks To The People

MALAPA HALEKANE ~ THE BRAND THAT SPEAKS TO  THE PEOPLE

Tsietsi Terrence Motswadi
The Hustle that feeds me

The past struggles may have been partially won by the youth of 1976. Today as young people of South Africa we're facing new age world struggles. In a structured economical system that is somewhat biased to the new generation in this era, we constantly find ourselves in between the social ills, mental illness, poverty and the lack of free quality education. We have seen young people in the past few years fighting for free quality education in the fees must fall protests, these protests showed the resilience and determination that young people possess. We have seen many young people struggling to fight against poverty in their communities through various programs and youth initiatives.

It is with no doubt that the unemployment rate among young people keeps growing at rapidly. We still fall short in the fight for economic freedom in this lifetime in this era, nonetheless we soldier on. As we evolve and grow beyond the limitations of our current economic system, we are seeing more and more young people emerging from disadvantaged backgrounds. Many young people are now using their creativity and social currency to turn their lives around to create a sustainable hustle that will give birth to a stable and lucrative business that will employ their communities and form a new economic system that is beneficial for all.

Tsietsi Terrence Motswadi (28) born in Thembisa raised in Rustenburg is a descendant of Ba kwa Kgalegi in Ramokokastad and he is the first born child of (4) siblings.
He grew up with a very active personality, played soccer and had an appetite for a healthy lifestyle with a passion for art and music. He had his early toddler years in Mogwase before moving to Rustenburg Geelhout Park where he attended primary school at Fields College and matriculated in HTS Rustenburg. He then furthered his studies with a Diploma In Computer Accounting and Mechanical Engineering.

His love for music began way back in his primary school days, where he and his friend (Eddie Sedumedi) would create beats using their school bags with wooden sticks, as if it were a drum set.
They began rapping along to other artists lyrics and songs, this was the 50 Cent Get Rich or Die Trying era. This went on for a while until most people fell in love with their sound and encouraged them to continue because they saw an amazing talent and since then Terrence never looked back.

Da Mic Pharmacist being his stage name, managed to create his own following/fan base. Terrence further mentioned that as of lately he has been paying more attention to his brand, so he hasn't been recording for some time.
"My taste in music is very broad ranging from the likes of Jill Scott, Joe Thomas & The Commodores just to name a few"

"Being the open minded person that I am, music helps me to navigate and calm my senses it has also connected me with people who share similar taste and interests"

Terrence believes that, the person that he is today is carved from years of experience which came from being active and humble among people and moreover engaging and not being afraid to take charge and learn from the mistakes that occur in one's life journey.
He grew up with a strong personality that made him able to channel the right attitude for the right situation which has become one of his greatest attributes that he encompasses.

"I learnt throughout the years that I'm more of a leader, which wasn't by choice but knowing and understanding that a leader is chosen"

"To me God is a way of life and life is energy it cannot be destroyed but just transferred from one source to another"

Having grown up in the township Terrence believes in the power of brotherhood.
"Majita a kasi (boys from the hood) Tshupetso Kevin, Boss Montana and Tsietsi Bethuel having grown up to the awareness of social norms and being all different in our own unique ways bringing it back to how we were raised these young men came together during the year 2012 sharing a common goal and having the emotional intelligence to put together a household name (Clothing Brand called Malapa Halekane)"
Terrence and his partners came together and put in funds collectively to see the brand materialize.
" As an emerging local brand we gave out freebies throughout the hood and slowly but surely our market grew, we were able to make a few sales and we haven't looked back ever since"

"Kevin (28) already had a sample of how the logo would look like and we crossed paths with people who gave us a helping hand in growing the brand further"

Terrence and his partners started the brand with the aim to highlight the expression of mental freedom in the society at large.
"As a brand we wanted people to have a change in their mindset and build an understanding that, life is for the living and people are unique hence we face different challenges in life, you will then approach life more cautious and in a humble way"

Terrence stated that many times people make comparisons and that results in attaining a stained confidence, looking at what your neighbor has accomplished in comparison with your accomplishments but failing to understand that as people we're all brought up differently and God has His timing.

Covid 19 came with its challenges, Companies had to shutdown, people had to stay indoors which minimized consumer spending and caused a decline in the economy. The Pandemic came as a shock when it hit globally. When everything came at a standstill due to the pandemic Terrence and his team were reminded of how unpredictable life can get.

As a young entrepreneur Terrence also felt the pinch in his line of business where he is trying to bridge the gap between fashion and lifestyle, given the implications caused by pandemic it had a huge impact on peoples lifestyles. Their biggest challenge was being unable to implement new ideas because of the lack of flexibility that came with the lock-down.
Nonetheless once the lock-down levels are eased and friendly enough for them to travel and engage as business demands of them, it is only then when they will resume all business operations.

Running a business is definitely not a ride in the park, it comes with it's perks. For one to really win in this field, it requires a high level of patience and understanding, with adequate consistency and critical analysis.
One of the biggest achievements is being able to put something together, in the midst of all impossibilities. Terrence further mentioned that the pandemic didn't have much of a negative impact per-say but it did force him to stretch his ways of thinking.
He invested more in his business on social media as a better tool to use in order to  diversify his brand and increase sales.

The lock-down didn't prevent him and his team from operating but rather gave them space to explore and expand their creativity, seeking new ideas to better themselves and the business. In business one needs to constantly remind themselves why you actually started in the first place.

Compiling enough research about a particular idea is quite imperative because you get to understand what to expect in that particular route. Engaging with people who are already exposed to your line of business that you wish to pursue comes with great help and assistance because you can always refer back, which makes the journey more fulfilling and knowledgeable.

Terrence further mentioned that, it is very easy for one to have a negative outlook on factors that are aligned to a business if you are not driven by love and passion for your work. Your love for the hustle will determine how far you will go.

"Consistency is the prove of hard work if you're constantly evolving yourself, your mind and your actions are constantly challenging yourself to be a better person and with that done you allow yourself to grow"

For more on what Terrence and his team are currently doing you can follow him on his social media pages.

Facebook: Terrence Malapa Motswadi