Media personality Somizi Mhlongo has ventured into business and has plans to bring out his inner child with his new SOMPIRE Kids range.
In an interview with Sunday World this week, Mhlongo said his new venture is a dream come true, describing it as a passion project he has been working on for two years.
“It was supposed to have been launched last year in February, but there were so many delays it didn’t,” he said.
“There have been financial, courier, shipping, and design delays, as well as creating the website. I really thought it would take me a month to put everything together.”
The flamboyant media personality said an inspiration behind the name of the range is the empire that he is building.
He wants SOMPIRE to have a television, theatre and dance department. The kiddies range is the first project under the group name. Mhlongo added that he hopes to cater to all types of children, regardless of their personalities and whether they are introverted or bold enough to wear whatever they wish.
The slogan for the range is “Brave enough to be yourself”.
“From the simplest T-shirts to the shiniest jacket, there is going to be a range, which is a complete personality of myself,” he said.
“This is how I would have loved to dress up as a child. Sometimes parents choose stuff for their kids to be on the safe side, the SOMPIRE kiddies’ range caters to every child.”
The range will be available from September 1, just in time for spring. However, not everything on the range is spring-inspired.
“In terms of affordability, I believe people are going to be surprised that it is going to be affordable,” he shared.
“My target market is everybody, I am going for affordability yet great quality, nothing is above R1000.”
He said at this stage, he is not entertaining ideas about collaborating with other retailers, because he believes these [retailers] also started where he is now. Mhlongo hopes to get where others are on his own, and if a chance for a collaboration comes his way, it would have to be beneficial.
“I am glad we live in times where we do not depend on national retail stores to grow. “That is why I opted for an online store, because people will be able to order wherever they are,” Mhlongo said.
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