24/02/2025
“OUR THESIS WILL NEVER BE SUBMITED”…
Nonhlanhla Kambule
As a labour reserve designed to secure a supply of cheap labour to white Johannesburg, Soweto was
meant to produce subaltern work force with no sense of ingenuity. Opportunities for personal
advancement and financial independence through trade was limited to the businesses like grocery
corner stores, butcheries and dry cleaners. Triggering new entrepreneurial innovations was the
transformation from apartheid to democratic political dispensation. This is the time when limited local
businesses that existed in the township dwindled to give rise to previously white reserved businesses
that thrived after 1994.
Dictionary defines thesis as a long essay involving personal research, written by a candidate for a
university degree. And this is a story about the Thesis that will never be submitted.
On February 17, 2025 Soweto WayaWaya Media honoured the scheduled appointment at number 173
Machaba Drive Mofolo Central, Soweto. This is Thesis Lifestyle Head Quarters and our meeting is with
Wandile Zondo (41), the co-founder and Business Manager.
Thesis Lifestyle is Soweto Tourism 2024 award winner in the category: Best Clothing Brand. Soweto
WayaWaya Media and Soweto Tourism celebrates Excellency in the hood.
Zondo is wearing a black sweater with white bold letters in his chest that reads “THESIS.DEFINE
YOURSELF.” Kahle kahle u Zondo uphusha I swagg big time. He is wearing equally out-standing green
tailor made pair of jeans, navy blue socks and a pair of elegant soft leather shoes . He is more than
fashion statement. He is simply “Style personified”.
Zondo is a Soweto boy through and through. He received his primary education at Vukuzenzele.
“Ngifunde khona la, just up the road e Vukuzenzele Primary School here in Mofolo North. In 1991 I failed
standard 1, luckily it was June exams. That was the first and last time I failed.”
And that triggers his memory. The mood changes even his voice is shaking. He is struggling to put words
together…
“I am raised by a single mother. My father was there. They were co-parenting. The sad true is that they
divorced and that affected me badly.1989 /1990 my parents separated. Mom, I and my two sisters had
to move from our home in Killarney "Orlando West" to ka gogo e Zondi. Two years later their divorce was finalized.”
Zondo childhood was disturbed. He sadly reminisce how his dream of attending school at Mellville was
shattered by the divorce.
“My mother sat me down and told me that ubaba ufuna ngiyofunda e Vukuzenzele. I had to eat a
humble pie ngifunde e kasi. It was hard to adjust. Mom told me not to worry and vowed to help me with
my studies. I improved and remained in the top 10 of every standard. I matriculated at the age 17 which
was our record time instead of today’s 18 years and ngathola u “M” futhi ngiku top 5.”
The emotions are high, he is flowing,
“My parents were both Blue collar workers. Dad worked for a solo tape company. Mom was with some
electronic board company. After divorce settlement, mom bought a house at Mofolo. My dad bought a
house in Meadowlands Zone 4.”
Zondo got his second major blow in life,
“When I was in form 1, I thought I have made an agreement with my father to save money for my
tertiary education. I never wasted money at all. Nasendlini bengingasi wumntwana ohluphayo. I passed
my matric with flying colours. Come 2001, I approach my father. I was so excited and confident that I am
going to tertiary. Ubaba wavela wathi “Ai ndoda mina angiyibekanga imali. Inyuku ayikho. I was so mad
ngaya kwa Muhle ukuyombophisa. Any way vele ujwayele ukukhipha imali through uMuhle. The shocker
for me was that I only discovered that he has a second family. He did not mince his words and told me
that he has other kids to raise.”
Zondo believes that education is key to success.
“I always wanted to go to school. Amajita ngiwabonile but thugs are not my heroes at all. Ngikhule
ngishiyelwa izimpahla yi cousin yami, like I Crocket and Jones and so on. Our Area in Mofolo is called Block 7.
It is a miracle on its own that I grew up here and turned out to be who I am today. Kubi e Block 7. We
had only 4 houses enabantu who had degrees. When we grew up, we all knew that on weekends all the
beautiful, expensive car are visitors of the 4 families. That was my source of inspiration. The rest
kuyabheda. Even nabashana, sibabambile isipoko sase Block 7.”
Zondo’s uncle was the late Banele Sindani may his soul rest in peace. Sindani was the first Black Chief
Executive of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) who was shot
and killed at the age of 60 in an armed robbery at his home in Randburg, 2015.
"Uncle Banele Sindane was an inspiration and had a friend who ended up being a family friend.”
Seziyasha manje ku Zondo,
“Sengiba rebellious ngi nkaw’za iy’gada. I wanted to prove wrong those that say people who smoke
w**d become useless. I was also exposed to the Rasta Community. I love their teachings of Black
Consciousness. I was inspired by Steve Biko, Marcus Garvey and Karl Marx to name a few. Black
consciousness took away self-pity and feeling sad. You became self-reliance. I love books. I read because
I want to change the status quo that says if you want to hide something from a black person, you must
place is inside the book. Education on its own is not enough. You must be street smart and book smart.
Mix the two. ”
His cousin and business partner Thabang Legae suggested a book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert T.
Kiyosaki and they never looked back, he told us. I asked how the book inspired him. He said,
“I was inspired but just wanting to do better. Rich Dad, Poor Dad was like a road map to doing better
without a ton of education no feeling self-pity for yourself.”
For the first time he mention his father with a smile,
“My father, u Mdubane Zondo loved dogs. He breed pure Greyhonds for racing. Ngiyakhumbulu
ngisakhula besihlala si together. Besizingela, senza I racing underground emaplazini wamabhunu e
Ventersdorp. He had a strategy. He would tell the farmers that the dogs are killing jackals. The farmers
would be happy because jackals kill their livestock. I still remember in one of the racing, a farmer said
“Kaffir hond sal nie wen vandag.”
I asked him if he can still recall the name of the dog that won race after race. He jumps, claps his hands
once and screams, “Ubani, u Speed Queen was the best!
Icacile ukuthi uSpeed Queen beku yinja ye game…pun intended.
“My father introduced me to places like Umhlanga Rocks and Rand Easter Show. You think I was there
for games? No, besiya ezinkomeni nasema hashini. Ubaba ungifundise okuningi ngemithi yesintu.
Ngiyakwazi ukuxhoba umunti. Ngiyakwazi ukuncinda umuthi…Ngapha umama wumzalwane” pointed
Zondo. He continues to say his soul,
“Not that i don’t like dogs. I don't like having a dog and not treating them like how my father did. I hated how my father elevated dogs to human status. We didn’t have medical aid. His
15 dogs that he stayed with were on medical aid. Also I know what it takes ukufuya inja. I will never take
good care of any dog like my father did. That is why anginanja”
Fast forward 2002, Zondo gets a job,
“U Malume u Thulani Sibisi who was uncle Banele's friend got me a job at Edgards East Gate Mall. I am 19 and
now exposed ezintweni. Remember East Gate was the entry point, beginning to hear different ascents. I
once met a traveler who said to me, “My friend let me tell you why we all come to South Africa. It is
because South Africa is the land of milk and honey.”
Zondo: “My friend Mangaliso Mbitshana who studied fashion at Wits Tech participated in the Loxion
Kulca documentary. Eventually both owners of Loxion Kulca were mentors.”
Thesis was conceived out of the sense of camaraderie between creative friends. Zondo is so happy to fill
me in,
“We were friends, Myself, Mangaliso and Sibusiso Mngemane who also worked for Edgars West Gate.
We used to meet every 3rd and 4th Fridays e Jozi. Saba nenhlanhla, Mangaliso’s brother left us with his
house at Kiblerpark for about 2 years. At that time, we were selling second hand clothes that we bought
from Jozi. Kudala sinelihlo for izinto ezihle. Noma impahla inkulu or idabukile besiyithatha, besazi ukithi
uMangi uzoyilungisa. Above all we were ready to start our own company. Mangaliso would stay in the
creative department. Myself, I am good with numbers and S’bu would head the marketing department.”
Zondo tells SWW that by that time,
‘I kasi liya changer. It was the era of YDE, Khensani’s Stone Cherry, Horror Café and
were desperately looking for the name of our company. We had a friend Tshepo Masenya, who all the
time would remind us that he has a thesis in computer Science to submit. Mangaliso the poet wayijika
lento. He reminded us of all these year si pusha I tw**de. He told us that this is our thesis. Guess what,
we were all happy with the name. To date our company is registered as Thesis Clothing CC Twenty years
later. Our Thesis will never be submitted.”
20 years later, Thesis lifestyle have three branches, Mofolo, Orlando East and Protea Gardens. They also
have a factory in Dobsonville which is still to be build to the state of the art.
