A special gym-wear clothing range for fitness enthusiasts
|Published
Amanda Mbongwa, owner of the Fitfanatic gym-wear now being sold at Woolworths. Picture: Supplied.
Durban - An Estcourt entrepreneur’s gym apparel has been included in Woolworths’ range of clothing, and she believes the story behind her homegrown brand will empower many who choose to experience her vision.
Amanda Mbongwa, who is also a farmer and in the trucking business, said it had taken at least two years for Woolworths to give her the green light on her FitFanatic Active brand. All major stores in most cities now stock her Mafadi Gym Range, specially made for the trial period.
Mafadi is a peak on the border of South Africa and Lesotho, the highest Mbongwa has climbed. The print on her gym-wear is a remake of the Mafadi. Last Sunday, Mamokgethi Phakeng, vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town, got tongues wagging when a video of her trip to a nail salon, a dare by her children, was widely shared on social media.
She was in a full FitFanatic twopiece set, and Mbongwa told the Sunday Tribune that Phakeng was a friend of the brand.
“We have a relationship with the Prof which goes back three years. She approached us saying she loved our work and what we advocate for,” said Mbongwa.
“She was seen wearing items she bought from us, and supports femaleowned local businesses.” The FitFanatic journey began in 2016, when Mbongwa left the corporate space, having worked as a human resources manager for a decade.
The aim was to follow her passion of becoming a personal trainer. However, at the time the market was saturated, and she had to come up with an alternative plan to benefit from the industry. That’s when the idea to create her own gym-apparel brand was born. “I am a very passionate person in all that I do, so I thought of a word that would best describe me, and fanatic was spot on.
“That’s how the brand name FitFanatic came about.” Mbongwa began sourcing apparel from China, but was not satisfied.
She moved on to buying from local promotional companies and re-branding them, but she felt that was not authentic enough. “I was not making money because people were making my clothes for me.
But I come from the rural areas, I have space, and I thought how difficult could it be to make a pair of gym leggings.” Mbongwa now has a design studio where she manufactures, and a store at Thokozisa Lifestyle Centre in the Central Drakensberg.
“It has been a long journey that is becoming clearer and clearer each year. It is important to have a clear vision of what you want, because even when days get dark, you have to remember why you are doing what you are doing,” she said.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE