Thobile Ntuli
Hello, my name is Thobile Ntuli, Founder of Luthi Creatives.
I was born and raised in the rural northern KwaZulu-Natal, in a small town called Mtubatuba. I studied for my BA in Arts at the University of Zululand. I love creating things and making them unique to fit my soul.
Tell us all about your company. What services and products do you offer?
Luthi Creatives is named after my grandmother. The company customizes shoes [(and other items)] based on culture patterns (mostly isiNdebele). Our clients may bring their own shoes or buy from us and we deliver around South Africa; our international clients [pay] for shipping.
How did you get the idea or concept for your company? What was your mission at the outset? Was there anything in particular that inspired you to start at the time you did?
My inspiration came from Dr. Esther Mahlangu when she painted that BMW, and the particular thing that pushed me to start was unemployment, and to combine the two, I figured, since we are no longer sitting around a fire for the elders to pass on the richness of our culture, why not do it in a modern, fashionable way?
Company Name: Luthi Creatives
Location: Gauteng, South Africa
Operating since: 2018
Socials: @luthicreatives (Instagram) @creativesluthi (Twitter)
How have your past personal & professional experiences helped you to run your company?
My past has helped me a lot. See, I grew up in Mtubatuba taxi rank, that's where my mother was a street vendor selling soft drinks and fruits. If I wasn't at school, I'd always be in a taxi rank helping her out. Being in such a business has taught me more about customer service, and also the presentation of your work in an environment where everyone is selling something similar to yours, cleanliness.
What is the biggest obstacle you've had to overcome? Learning to say NO when clients bring me dirty sneakers!
What's your definition of success? Do you consider yourself a success?
Success is when you go to bed knowing you have helped someone to be able to provide [for themselves/others]. I'm not successful yet but one day I will be, when I have shops around South Africa with strictly hand-painted sneakers and have trained youth to work on them.
Have the women around you helped you to rise?
Yes, they have been so helpful in boosting my beliefs, in trusting my ideas, and in outing my name out there for the world.
What are some of your future plans? Are you working on anything else right now?
My future plan is to one day work with Converse but I've been lucky enough to work with a soccer team from Italy known as AS Velasca, courtesy of Zola Manqina (founder of Soweto Stars FC). Both teams are sponsored by Le Coq and I hand painted a few Le Coq pairs for AS Velasca in Milan. I have high hopes that this union will bear more fruits in the future.
What advice would you give to a woman starting out in your industry or starting her own company/organization?
Be patient with yourself. Never give up on yourself no matter how many times you fall. Your art must present itself to potential clients such that even if they see cheaper art somewhere, they still choose yours no matter how far you are.
Describe yourself in ONE word. Persistent
Complete this sentence: "To be a girl or woman today is..." being a risk taker, opening doors that were not meant to be opened by us.
If you enjoyed reading about Thobile Ntuli, you can follow her on Instagram.