Youthful streetwear brand making Gen Z look fresh
What began as a simple shopping trip in Gaborone turned into a business venture for 25-year-old fine art photographer, Thabo Keorapetse.
Disappointed by substandard quality apparel in local stores, the Limkokwing University graduate decided he could do better, and in the long story of what happened next, Uyafisa Streetwear was born.
Established in September 2025, the fast-rising streetwear brand prints and designs graphic T-shirts, from anime to modern urban culture, with plans to establish a full line of customised street wear clothing from T-shirts, jeans, glasses and hoodies in the near future.
“What inspired me was how when I wanted to buy a quality T-shirt from already existing retailers I lacked variety, quality and unique designs. Mostly retailers would offer options that are redundant and not relevant. In most cases the quality was not worth the price and I realised that I wasn’t the only one who wanted something fresh and relevant. So I decide to venture into the business and offer high quality T-shirts at an affordable price,” he says.
Keorapetse says he also wanted to offer a local alternative to the cheap mass clothes sourced from overseas. “Many people travel to China to buy trendy T-shirts and I thought to myself why not provide a service of printing authentic designs that one could possibly get from China, thus cutting costs. Yes the price may be different but I feel it’s important to buy local brands to create jobs,” said the youthful businessman.
According to Keorapetse, so far the support from Batswana has been impressive, with orders coming in everyday and being able to sell over 100 T-shirts to date. “With a few challenges such as no office, lack of equipment and slow third party service providers, it’s been a great journey so far. The buzz has spread beyond borders and we’re getting attention from as far as Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa,” he says, further emphasising that his success lies in niching down. “I believe in learning from competition and finding my own niche. Casting a wide net and hoping for the best is not a good idea. Our focus is on Gen Z fashion- bold, current, and different. We try to stay ahead of latest trends and deliver a look they can’t find anywhere else.
Uyafisa targets youth aged between 17-29, and their prices range between P290.00 to P390. But the road has not been so easy for the youthful brand.
“Local printing houses are somehow not friendly to micro businesses such as mine because of the small margins we bring. They prefer big orders that hold a lot of money. This has adversely affected turnaround time for my business. Another challenge is lack of equipment. We would love to print on our own but I believe as I grow and raise more funds I can buy my own,” he says.
Another challenge is the high cost of fabric and customs cost.
To keep the prices fair, Keorapetse says, the cost of bringing fabric into the country must drop.
“BURS charges and transport costs are also heavy,” says Keorapetse who says he is motivated by South Africa’s success streetwear story GALXBOY.
“I’m confident that Uyafisa will also go global soon,” he says with a look of determination and pride.
