BOIPELO TAPOLOGO
Known to the masses as “Ruxion” from the hip hop group Magosi and most recently as one half of bespoke suit making team Keno Customs, Thobo Kerekang has recently launched, “Spanamfana Denim Wear” which is also a movement for empowering the boy child.
Spanamfana denim allows the client to pick their own denim design and have it tailored to their style and fit, mainly because “for a short guy like myself, it is not easy to shop for jeans that fit so with this denim line, you are basically making your desired denim piece and that is what sets us apart in the saturated retail denim stores” he says.
Spanamfana is also inspired by the realisation that there are more initiatives geared towards empowering the girl child and there isn’t much available to inspire each other as young boys and men. Spanamfana will host monthly sessions where guys meet to talk about issues that relate to them in society. Kerekang revealed that, “we may have a society where women are empowered but because men are not given the right mind-set tools they may not be able to co-exist with these women which may lead to an imbalance.”
“I had my first pair of jeans when I was about five or six, a Pierre Cardin pair from my aunt and my analysis is that jeans are a part of our lives and as someone who loves fashion like I do, evident with Keno Suits I saw it fit to venture into denim,” Kerekang shares.
With the name, Spanamfana which loosely translates as an encouraged boost for young men to work hard, he needed a name that would bring together his love for fashion with business. Kerekang continues his collaboration with his business partner, Donald Nnoto on this journey which will run parallel to Keno suits.
“Keno is going on five years so we have the basics of the textile industry covered and our plan is to go mainstream in retail and supply stores all over. Anyone interested in custom made denim tailored to their specifications can get in contact with us. Our denim line is tailored in a way that it is very difficult to find denim that fits without alterations,” he said, adding that, “Juggling between being a Legal advisor, entrepreneuris really a matter of prioritising and see how best one can use their time.”
Kerekang is also part of the Elevam team which is a management firm that consists of international champion athlete Isaac Makwala, Casper the DJ, rapper Frost and an upcoming artist called Gole. A true trailblazer and a definite entrepreneur in the making, “I do not believe in letting ideas die. Healthy living will be something to look out for in the coming year too, which will focus on my love for fitness,” Kerekang closed with high spirits.