Meet Mokopane Ledwaba an entrepreneur with a passion for watchmaking, leading his brand to be among the best brands in the watch industry.

PROUDLY LIMPOPOIAN

The 31-year-old, who hails from Ga-Mashashane on the outskirts of Polokwane, currently runs his watch business, Ledjoy, in Germiston, Gauteng. Ledwaba describes Ledjoy as a South African high-end watch boutique that produces products that complement consumers’ proud fashion sense. The brand’s clientele is made up of the upper middle class and the upper class. "Over 15% of our current customers are law practitioners, and 65% are young professionals such as accountants, engineers, technicians, and teachers. The other 20% is made up of entrepreneurs, entertainers, and athletes," he shares, adding that the South African luxury watch industry is not as lucrative as first-world countries due to our unstable economy and high poverty rate. 

HE WAS INSPIRED BY WATCHING ONLINE SHOWS 

Ledwaba tells ZiMoja that his love for watches was ignited by an international watch festival that he used to watch online, Dubai Watch Week. "Watching different manufacturers develop new designs and the stories behind each design gave me a new perspective on the watch industry. The first watch I fell in love with was the IWC Portugieser Chronograph, released in 2013; my brother owned it and would let me wear it when I had special occasions. It always made me feel like a winner," he says. He adds that the business’s mission is to celebrate resilience by encouraging our audience always to be courageous and positive-minded and aim to be purposeful leaders. "The idea behind the Brad was inspired by our desire to build Africa’s biggest watch and accessories boutique chain that encourages millions of people across the continent to be resilient and live purposeful lives, he explains. Ledweba says as an idea, Ledjoy was started in 2019. However, the business officially started trading in the 2nd quarter of 2022. "Since our inception, the industry has proven to be unpredictable and forever changing; this is partly due to the unstable economy and changing trends that are influenced by social media. Although the market is overwhelmed with good competition, one of Ledjoy’s advantages is that almost all the competitors are foreign to Africa. We have an opportunity to be Africa’s pride, the biggest boutique in the continent," he points out.

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? " Don’t waste time following; find your path and lead purposefully."