Gweri Vintage Collection – the brand that keeps on growing

Medeline /Gases
Zulu Boy sets the trend for creativity

Created by Namibians for international consumption

The Gweri Vintage Collection is a brand focused on providing exclusive and premium quality products created with Namibian craftsmanship and creativity. Originally from Onayena in northern Namibia, the brand was started by local entrepreneur, graphic designer, aspiring chef, stylist and dancer Pinehas ‘Zulu Boy’ Yemwene. The brand is created by Namibians for worldwide consumption. The Gweri Vintage Collection began in 2018 with its popular and trendy Gweri socks selling them via Nictus Namibia stores in four regions of the country.

The brand grew and in May 2021 it opened up its first store in Grove Mall, one of the biggest malls in Namibia. The store currently sells the Gweri socks and the fashionable hats from the brand Simon and Mary.

Giving back to the community

Apart from the entrepreneurial spirit of doing business the store has also partnered up with Standard Bank under the Buy-A-Brick initiative. The campaign was initially launched in March 2020 to mobilise schools nationwide in an effort to raise funds for the construction of low-cost houses. The initiative aims to raise funds in order to build homes for the majority of Namibians who live in shacks. The socks feature several attractive designs but the common feature on all of them is the Buy-a-Brick logo. Zulu Boy says the name “footprint socks” was chosen to encourage and motivate learners and the Namibian populace to leave a footprint in the lives of families living in shacks by helping them to acquire affordable houses. The Footprint socks are available at Standard Bank branches and agencies across the country. All the funds generated from the sale of the Footprint Socks will be handed to the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia.

What the future holds

Zulu Boy maintains that moving his brand onto the international stage is a goal he wants to achieve and by accomplishing this goal he can reach higher altitudes entrepreneurially. According to Zulu Boy building a brand that will be internationally recognised and opening opportunities that not everyone can reach is an entrepreneurial goal he aims to achieve.

He further encourages all upcoming entrepreneurs to be the true versions of themselves; focus on what you want to do and the doors will always open for you. ‘One Brick Builders Wisdom’ by Otto Kapuka is a book Zulu Boy would recommend to all entrepreneurs.