• Other

The leather life

Mariselle ­Stofberg



From being a stay-at-home mother who created leather products in her free time to opening up her very own store, Andria du Rand has proven that anything is possible if you are determined and focused.

“Annaki started in August 2019 from my home. That year I had the opportunity to attend a course on how to work with leather, and from the very first day, I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life.”

When she finished the course, Du Rand went home and immediately started with orders for her brand called Annaki. “The very first order I had was a female purse, and since that very first order, not a day has gone by without me having orders.”

Within five months, Annaki has grown at such a pace that Du Rand had to employ two women to help her with production. “The Lord has been so good to us.”

The business grew at a tremendous speed and they have been able to open their own shop on 5 February at Okahandja.

“The leather products we make are all hand-stitched. We do custom work and manufacture from our shop. We also sell other special products.”

Other products include handmade baby and toddler accessories from Mimi Muis, home décor from Hertex and Haus, handcrafted wooden furniture by Johan Liebenberg, handmade jewellery from Vagary, Namibian designed scarves from Blok Design, handmade leather products from Shilongo and scrubs and grow bags from Desert Distributors.

“We aim to stock mostly local and handmade products. Once you do some research, you realise Namibians are so talented and creative.”

Du Rand's love for leather has been a part of her since she was very young. “I grew up with a house full of stunning leather items and I always said the smell of leather makes me so happy. One day my best friend, Loamie Homsek, gave me a handstitched leather clutch bag. She told me she thinks I will enjoy doing something like this, and just look where I am today.”

Homsek told her best friend about the course in Cape Town, Du Rand booked, and the rest is history.

Du Rand believes her success is first and foremost possible with the grace of God. “I thank Him for my talents and creative mind. What I believe contributes to success is being honest, kind and genuine. I do my planning a day ahead so that both I and my ladies at work know what to expect for the next day. I also believe social media and the local newspapers help with getting the word out about what we do and the services we host,” she said.

What makes Annaki different is that this is a shop full of handmade Namibian goods. “We strive to have creative designs regularly and to always be content with our success, while striving to improve.”

Currently, Du Rand employs two women at the store.

“I do the design work for the Annaki Handstitched products and they do the stitching by hand. I would say we have a classy but loving atmosphere around us. We love our work and the people, but we do not settle for anything less than excellence.”

From the new store, customers can expect a lot of “stunning products, quality and uniqueness. We will go the extra mile for our customers,” Du Rand said.

With the new store, Annaki will be collaborating with some local designers to also showcase their products.

“Our displays are done in a way that ensures the identity of each designer. We change our displays often to keep the creative ideas flowing.”

The brand makes use of word-of-mouth marketing, with social media posts on Instagram and Facebook, branding and newspapers to get the word out.

Du Rand believes that their unique approach to the creation of their products truly sets them apart from the rest.

“The unique design of using the raw end as a detail to each bag, the fact that we do custom designs and the personal touch we add to our service are just some of the aspects that make us stand out. People want a handwritten note or some extra detail to packaging. I give what I would like,” she added.

“We have a heart for people and beautiful handmade goods.”

Du Rand has invested so much of herself in this brand and hopes to use her love for people and her excellent team to strive for even greater heights in this year.