Sammy Mhaule, the founder of local sneaker brand Kicks, has heeded the call to assist struggling veteran actor Vusi Thanda following his public plea for donations.
Mhaule has announced a new partnership with Mall of Africa and local celebrities DJ Sbu, Brian Themba and Mashabela Galene to host a fund-raising event in honour of the legendary actor.
The event will include a music concert and a massive sale of the popular Khokhova range and all proceeds will be donated to Thanda.
“Life’s journey remains ever-changing and having grown up watching uBab Vusi Thanda, I was moved by the sad turn his life has taken considering the incredible contribution he has made to our country’s entertainment over the years,” Mhaule told IOL Entertainment.
“It was a no-brainer to step in and help and after chatting to him I realised that whichever way we help him has to be more long-term than just giving him money and walking away, so I was very touched by his story and I’m looking forward to the impact we can make with this initiative.
“I met Bab Vusi Thanda when I was doing an interview with DJ Sbu who happens to be a friend and has been very supportive in my journey, so he was the first person I approached with my idea and he was immediately on board.
“After that, I called all my friends in the industry and everyone was very keen to get involved. I’m so excited for the support of Mashabela Galene, Mzwandile Ngubeni, Toshi, Brian Temba, Jessica Mbangeni and so many others who have raised their hands to become a part of this.
“Our line-up for entertainment on the day has 20 entertainers who are just as passionate about supporting this initiative and we hope their involvement will help us garner even more support,” added Mhaule.
He continued: “First of all, to attend this event will be free to attract as many people as possible as well as through our entertainers.
“We are still in the planning phases but we want this to be almost like a live concert where people can experience some of their favourite artists performing in exchange for helping ubaba.
“We also had a lot of sneakers in our warehouse from our previous Kokovha range and we’ll be using this event to make them accessible to the public with the proceeds from the sales going towards Bab Vusi Thanda.
“We are also in talks with different corporates to find out how they can also lend a helping hand so that the support goes beyond just what Kicks as a brand can do.”
Mhaule said the key goal for this event was to assist Thanda with a sustainable home and long-term financial support to ensure the legendary actor gets back on his feet again.
“Our hope for this is to go towards housing support for him as he has indicated that to be his biggest challenge right now but this will all depend on how much support we get on the day.
“During our talks with him, we indicated that our goal is to support him on his living situation whether it’s through a physical house or allowing him to pay rent for a long term while he tries to get more acting work that can hopefully support him for even longer.
“Whatever we reach, we’re certain that it will be a meaningful sum and will create long-lasting relief for this legend.”
This comes at the back of the sneaker brand’s second anniversary and its new partnership with retail giant, Mall of Africa.
Mhaule also announced the company’s latest footwear range, ChampionX.
“This range means so much to me because we created it at a time when I needed some inspiration to keep me going and that’s why we gave the brand the tagline ‘keep moving’.
“This time around we concentrated on comfort because while the design is great, we want consumers to be able to wear these sneakers for all their different day to day activities from work, to gym to lunch commitments, we ensured that the comfort lasts you throughout the day.”
Asked about the target market for the latest sneaker brand, the Thembisa-born star quipped: “It’s so funny you ask this because a colleague of ours gave the sneakers to her grandmother who now wears them everywhere she goes and I was laughing at how a grandmother was not necessarily someone we had in mind as our target.
“But everyone who has worn these sneakers has made me realise that they appeal to a much larger audience than we had predicted and so my answer is everyone.
“Our colours are bold and bright this time because we were gearing this range towards a younger market that’s interested in exploring different styles and playing with different colours, but the range is really for anyone who’s looking to try something comfortable but still makes a statement, young or old, our sneakers will help consumers create a fun, exciting and somewhat unexpected brand experience.
Commenting on the R8.2m against Makhadzi for breaching partnership agreements with Kokovha” sneakers, Mhaule said: “We are still going to court which limits so much of what can be shared at this stage.
“I hope all this ends in a way that works out for both the Kicks brand and Makhadzi. The legal matter is still pending and we hope that this can be resolved soon in a manner that’s fair for all parties involved.”
The event, which is free-of-charge, will take place at the Mall of Africa, on Saturday, October 29.