The “I’ve found my purpose and that’s what makes me so confident in what I do, but I understand that this is bigger than me. Four hours after launching the brand, our website crashed because of traffic. After five years at PwC, and three in Dubai, I quit and invested savings into building the business and making a real impact in my community. Bathu Shoes founder and entrepreneur, Theo Baloyi, was recently awarded Top Empowerment’s Top Empowered Young Achiever of the Year for 2020, in the midst of his pro-African sneaker brand’s major success story – and this is only the beginning! What is key is that you should keep your invention or design secret, in order to avoid destroying its novelty and, given the complexity of this area of law, you should consult an attorney for the rest. To understand Bathu you have to go back to where it … “Our sole aim is to build a proudly African sneaker brand, reignite hope and create sustainable jobs. This translates into sales on Bathu Swag’s online marketplace, while feeding into its brick-and-mortar stores, of which there are over 15 across South Africa. At present, Bathu offers a unique range of sneakers and related products for both children and adults, including the standard Mesh Edition, the Mesh Edition 2.0, Journey Edition Suede, and the Journey Edition Leather – with plenty more to come. His narrative is truly an inspirational tale of diligence, detailing how believing in yourself despite all obstacles could lead to unprecedented levels of success. I didn’t want to start a sneaker brand for the sake of it. It is a good idea, further, to instruct a trade mark attorney to conduct such a search on your behalf. When Tuesday, Feb 26 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (SAST) Where Industrial Coffee Works. Theo Baloyi, Founder - Bathu Shoes When I met him three years ago, my business was very small, he taught me logistics and distributions. A shoe that aims to be for South Africa what Chuck Taylor’s are to urban America. Cnr. Bathu Shoes. It's a story of walking your journey. Founder. “We penetrated an industry that has been dominated by international footwear brands for years, and we have managed to create a brand that is pro-African with a world-class look and feel”. by Bongani Chinkanda. Today, we can say we penetrated an industry that has been dominated by international footwear brands for years, and we have managed to create a brand that is pro-African with a world-class look and feel.”. The journey has been a hustle. by Kim Pietersen. Once you are satisfied that your trade mark is likely to proceed to registration, go ahead and file – because the earlier you do so, the better. We’re called “Bathu”, which means ‘shoe’ in Tsotsitaal (the vernacular derived from a blend of local languages mainly spoken in the townships of Gauteng such as Soweto). Criticism is the package in which responsibility and accountability are wrapped.... by Nompumelelo Mokou. It’s a story of an African business with its IP sorted. This figure has gradually increased throughout the year, combating the devastating local unemployment rates by creating jobs and strengthening the hopes of local families and individuals. This article was overseen by Eben van Wyk, a Partner at Spoor & Fisher South Africa. “Being in the corporate space exposed me to wealth building and my vision is to build that wealth. Upon receiving his accounting qualification, and landing a job with PwC, Theo then moved to Dubai, achieving financial security for himself and his family following his father passing. Hence, they wear the brand with pride wherever they go - our brand speaks to the heart. Online sales and an online presence are considered critical ingredients in most recipes for success. from 'Impumelelo Top Empowerment 20th Edition'. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. We don’t want to be a fashion brand. It’s all about building and never giving up. Kim Pietersen is an associate attorney in the Trade Mark Department at Spoor & Fisher Cape Town. The incredible story of Bathu Shoes | Top Billing - YouTube However, if I have an intellectual relationship with money, I will think about how I will make my next R20, and that’s how I run my business to this day. We penetrated an industry that has been dominated by international footwear brands for years, and we have managed to create a brand that is pro-African with a world-class look and feel. “It’s truly a proudly South African story. https://issuu.com/topcomedia/docs/top_empowerment_2020/s/11509334 It unites us, and that’s what the business is about – uniting people. #bathu #walkyourjourney 272 Likes 10 Comments Like Comment Share. The Bathu story is more than just a story of sneakers. by Kim Pietersen. Bathu, a proudly South African sneaker brand with its roots in 2015, is not only making the right moves to become a beloved household name, but is also taking all the right steps to build a legacy that lasts. How do brands speak to the tribes that youth today belong to? She has a BA (Performing Arts) and an LLB from Stellenbosch University, and is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. The Bathu story is more than just a story of Sneakers. For each tribe, it’s more about the... by Craig Hannabus. His is a story of walking your destined path. Both Theo and Bathu pride themselves on creating an African footprint across the globe, and there are plans to position the brand across Africa, with more retail store locations, starting with Botswana in 2021. My best friend Andrew Lale and my uncle kept the business going when I returned to Dubai. From this Bathu was born. We want to be a shoe retail brand. Oracle for Startups. It’s a story of claiming your purpose in life, staying true to who you really are, and pursuing your dreams and doing something you are actually passionate about. “You must have the right people in positions that they enjoy. During the creation stage of any brand or business, it is important to protect your IP, which starts with considering which trade marks you intend to commercialise and taking steps to protect them. During his experience in the Middle East, the award-winning 30 year-old accountant began his entrepreneurial journey, detecting a gap in the sneaker market. As part of their vision for 2020, Bathu opened its sixteenth local store in November this year. They take pride in our story. How homegrown SA brand Bathu protects its IP to build a legacy that lasts. In the context of Bathu, the popular logo depicted below can be safeguarded by copyright protection, in which case copying it in any circumstance would constitute copyright infringement. Bathu’s story is more than a story of sneakers. Heuwels and Hendrik Verwoerd Centurion, 0157. Apart from trade mark protection, you should also consider whether patent, design and other IP protection (like copyright) might be possible. Global Sponsors. In January 2020, Bathu secured a 3700m² warehouse in Centurion, Johannesburg, which houses their current staff base of 68 people – 80% of whom are from Alexandra. The factory in Durban, that now makes our sneakers, rejected us sixteen times because of the mesh fabric we wanted to use – I refused to take no for an answer. .css-k31kfd-skeletonStyles-Skeleton{background-color:#eee;background-image:linear-gradient( 90deg,#eee,#f5f5f5,#eee );background-size:200px 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;border-radius:4px;display:inline-block;line-height:1;width:100%;-webkit-animation:animation-16jpnkj 1.2s ease-in-out infinite;animation:animation-16jpnkj 1.2s ease-in-out infinite;}@-webkit-keyframes animation-16jpnkj{0%{background-position:-200px 0;}100%{background-position:calc(200px + 100%) 0;}}@keyframes animation-16jpnkj{0%{background-position:-200px 0;}100%{background-position:calc(200px + 100%) 0;}}‌.css-k31kfd-skeletonStyles-Skeleton{background-color:#eee;background-image:linear-gradient( 90deg,#eee,#f5f5f5,#eee );background-size:200px 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;border-radius:4px;display:inline-block;line-height:1;width:100%;-webkit-animation:animation-16jpnkj 1.2s ease-in-out infinite;animation:animation-16jpnkj 1.2s ease-in-out infinite;}@-webkit-keyframes animation-16jpnkj{0%{background-position:-200px 0;}100%{background-position:calc(200px + 100%) 0;}}@keyframes animation-16jpnkj{0%{background-position:-200px 0;}100%{background-position:calc(200px + 100%) 0;}}‌, from 'HYPEBEAST Magazine Issue 25: The Mania Issue', from 'HYPEBEAST Magazine Issue 20: The X Issue', from 'Deadline Hollywood - Oscar Preview', from 'Fast Company SA November 2018 - Issue 40'. This narrative is pushed vigorously via online marketing, which has consumers engaging with Bathu or Baloyi on a number of major social media platforms – reaching a combined 870,000-plus followers. A huge congratulations to Theo Baloyi for being nominated as one of the 100 Most Influential Young South Africans 2020!. They helped me deliver, and Andrew conducted media interviews on my behalf, but I was always hands-on. It’s our time; let’s build our continent. It's a story of owning your destiny, of staying true to who you are, of perseverance, of following your dreams and doing something you are passionate about. Theo’s concept was ingenuous: create a sneaker business with distinctive and modern flair, with all shoes produced locally, which would ultimately become as popular as any other global sneaker brand. It belongs to all of us. A lot of celebrities love our brand because our story resonates with them so well. We chat to Theo Baloyi about what it has taken to build the next big shoe brand. https://www.facebook.com/brightpathconsult/posts/1238642859846389 Although not quite the rise to riches story of Drip Footwear, Bathu Shoes itself has a unique and interesting start-up story. Once registered, a trade mark is valid for 10 years. In order for it to be worthwhile for them to switch on their machines, the minimum order quantity had to be about 1,200 pairs. … Born and raised in Gauteng, Theo lived with his uncle in the township of Alexandra, whilst pursuing a BCom Accounting degree. For Theo Baloyi, founder of Bathu shoes, this presented a challenge: how do we as South Africans reclaim an important part of our local street culture? – Receive the Retailing Africa newsletter every Wednesday • Subscribe here. Oracle for Startups is the launchpad to integrate and scale with Oracle technology, expertise and global reach. The founder of Bathu, Theo Baloyi, has already filed over 10 Bathu-related trade marks in South Africa, in the name of his trading company, Bathu Swag (Pty) Ltd. In our podcast this week, Karla Fletcher, Head of Marketing at Topco Media speaks to Theo Baloyi, Balancing consumer demand for privacy with retail and brand customer experience.... Stay up to date with business news and trends, How brands are targeting youth challenges, Reimagining the in store experience in an omnichannel world. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Once your traditional IP is protected, secure social media accounts for your main trade marks. My seniors at PwC were supportive of me having a side hustle, and then I found a factory in Durban that would make the sneaker, but my design first needed their approval. I’m of the opinion that we are on a journey to contribute immensely in the South African economy and help create more jobs. It took 18 months to research and develop the prototype. Baloyi is able to make money from the sale of shoes and from commercialising the Bathu brand, which yields sustainability and is a method for safeguarding exclusivity. I wanted to tell a story and manufacture products of quality.”. Bathu Shoes (Pty) Ltd. I might have initiated it, but it doesn’t belong to me. The outcome? As far as copyright protection is concerned, SA law affords an author automatic copyright protection if, by way of example, that author independently creates an original artistic work – like a logo. Registration is not necessary and copyright owners can save their money to fight off infringers. The founder of Bathu, Theo Baloyi, has already filed over 10 Bathu-related trade marks in South Africa, in the name of his trading company, Bathu Swag (Pty) Ltd. As a result, Bathu Swag is entitled to prevent a third party from using the BATHU trade mark in South Africa in relation to shoes (and related goods) – as well as the use of a confusingly similar mark, like Batu. Before filing a trade mark in South Africa, it is prudent to examine the Register of Trade Marks for prior trade marks that could pose an obstacle to the registration or use of your mark. It doesn’t matter where you go, whether it’s filled with isiXhosa, isiZulu or Sepedi speaking people; South Africans know what it means. Meet South Africa's champion in the sneaker game: Bathu shoes. CEO & Founder of Bathu Shoes in conversation with Allan Gray Orbis Foundation (AGOF). This will not only ensure that you have an online presence that you can leverage to grow your business, but also aid in preventing third-party brand impersonation online. If Spitz can come here and build their brand, why can’t Bathu go to Italy and build a brand that Italians could say is proudly South Africa? Bathu has arguably captured consumers’ attention by creating a sneaker brand that ticks all the checkboxes of Western sneaker brands, while it presents an African-centric narrative. He used to tell me to never have an emotional relationship with money because if I lose R10, I will lament that loss. People were curious about the brand and what it represents. Simply put, while a patent protects an invention (in other words, the principle underlying a process or a product), a registered design protects the physical form of an article of manufacture (essentially, how something looks). Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), For youth ‘tribes’ it is all about social messaging, The fine balance between personalisation and privacy. *This article is merely to report, not to advise. Through an international lens, a void in the market could be seen, there was a need for an authentic African sneaker brand – and Theo made it his mission to tell an authentically honest African story through his new venture. Today, Bathu is a well-loved brand. I then sold the 100 pairs made (at a loss) from my uncle’s back room and the boot of my car, at first. This is how Bathu is getting its intellectual property (IP) right and, in doing so, building a sustainable and financially viable business with the potential to last. The best advice came from my father.
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