When telling Theo Baloyi’s remarkable story, we must begin with a disclaimer: We are fans! Still in his early thirties, he quit his accounting job at a top multinational firm to start a sneaker business that’s now listed in the top 1 00 most admired African brands.
He’s garnered a Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Gauteng Premier Service Excellence Awards, a nod at the Empowerment Awards as Top Empowered Young Achiever of the Year and, more recently, a Pioneer Award at the London Global African Awards and was named a Young Business Leader of the Year by Forbes Africa. It’s easy to be a fan.
An Entrepreneurial Spirit
Born in Ga-Rankuwa, northwest of Pretoria, Theo’s family – parents Tshidi and Solly, and his sister Goitsimang – later relocated to Phake near Hammanskraal, where he grew up. After matriculating he went to Alexandra, Johannesburg, to live with his uncle while studying for his accounting degree.
“That’s where my becoming started,” he recalls. It was when the entrepreneurial bug bit, with Theo the student selling perfumes door-to-door in his spare time. A decade later, after seven years of outstanding success with his company, Bathu, which he established in 2015, his entrepreneurial zeal and desire for disruption remain unchanged.
“I’VE FOUND MY PURPOSE, WHICH MAKES ME REALLY CONFIDENT IN WHAT I DO.”
Walking His Journey
Bathu’s catchphrase is ‘walk your journey’. Theo’s started at an airport during a seven-hour layover where he met a French businessman who owned a shop at the airport. A lengthy chat about business got Theo thinking about the type of narrative Africans are telling through business.
The seed was planted. Later, his was to be a tale of an African entrepreneur who founded an African footwear company. To fuel the fire, he had a burning desire to give back to his community.
“When I visited home, I saw many young people who had lost hope. But, for most, it wasn’t because they were lazy; they had not been awarded opportunities like I had,” he says. So, that got him thinking. Why sneakers? “They say when you buy too much of something, then why not own it!
Theo says. (Add to that a modern 3 700m2 storage warehouse in the heart of Centurion.) He initially considered selling imported sneakers, but after months of market research with his friend and business partner Andrew Lale, they spotted a gap in the market for locally produced limited-edition sneakers.
Theo’s gift is thinking ahead of the crowd and taking calculated risks, so he took a leap of faith and resigned from Price Waterhouse Coopers (one of the ‘big four’ accounting firms in the world), where he had been working for three years. “I decided to quit my job and be of service,” he says.
And just like that, he packed his bags, headed back home (he’d been working in the Middle East), used his savings as seed capital and that was the birth of Bathu, which means ‘shoe’ in township slang. He started with just 100 pairs of the Mesh Edition.
Since then, his business has grown in leaps and bounds, with over 35 Bathu outlets in locations across the country. Though his journey was met with challenges, such as rejection by factories, what sets Bathu apart from other footwear brands is its embodiment of authenticity, unconventional thinking and innovation – such as the entirely mesh sneaker.
“Everything you see in this business I did myself. I set up the entire supply chain, packed boxes, couriered product, I did the e-commerce, PR and marketing. I was also the receptionist and security guard for the stock.
That’s how I started.” Although he achieved remarkable success and continues to do so, he still felt a deep connection to his first love – fragrances. He set up sister company Avenue Exchange, a cosmetics boutique, and opened its first two stores at the end of last year – in Pretoria and Thohoyandou, Venda.
“I’M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT YOU MISS 100% OF THE SHOTS YOU NEVER TAKE.”
Being Of Service
Theo’s story is a lesson for all entrepreneurs about the power of authenticity – a trait crucial for success. He started a sneaker business despite competition from many big international and iconic footwear brands. The stats told him that it wouldn’t work, but he did it regardless. “I’m a firm believer that you miss 100% of the shots you never take. It doesn’t matter what the stats or market research says… you will never know until you try and give it your best shot. That’s the best way to do anything in life,” he advises.
“I think many people with big dreams have great potential and vision that this world needs, but they won’t know until they start.” He wants to ensure that his talents, vision, gifts and dreams significantly impact the next person because “excellence comes through being of service”.
For example, through Bathu for Batho, his company has committed to donating one-million pairs of school shoes to underprivileged kids over the next 10 years. Another notable accomplishment is being able to provide employment to family members and the Alexandra community – testament that quitting the job that provided for him and his family, then starting a business that now provides for hundreds of families, was the right move. “I am a product of opportunities.
Throughout my journey, I have been awarded many opportunities that have contributed to the man I am today,” he says. This is the reason he believes that his existence and purpose should be to make a difference in other people’s lives. With over 400 people employed and 37 retail stores across the group, one of Theo’s wishes is that his late father, who passed away in 2014, could have witnessed his growth.
“I’ve found my purpose, which makes me really confident in what I do.” Most importantly, he is proud of the leader and businessman he’s become. And we are too, as we witness his journey.
RAPID-FIRE Q & A
Favourite pastimes:
Reading a good book or spending time at the racetrack in Centurion
Favourite authors:
Judy Collins and Robin Sharma
Best dessert:
Baked cheesecake
First pair of sneakers you ever bought:
Lacoste
The perfect pair of shoes is…
well-designed and comfortable
Your best words of advice:
Just be authentic to your calling
Words by Koketso Mashika
Photography: Supplied
