Cuffed Urban Street Wear: Giving opportunities to ex-offenders

A brand that makes it possible for those who have run afoul of the law to give meaning to and turn around their lives.

Nkeletseng Tsetsane can’t recall how she found herself at the Youth Rehabilitation Centre in Krugersdorp where she came across talented young people that melted her heart. Tsetsane works closely with adolescents and young people addressing social ills through her social enterprise, MB Teen Lifestyle.

“One of the things that bothered me is that, in most sessions, I found that socio-economic circumstances were at the core of most, not all, of their bad choices and risky behaviours,” Tsetsane tells Spot-On.

“The young people that I work with were mostly convicted under the Child Justice Act. There are inadequate after-care programmes to support them and ensure that they are able to earn an honest living in their endeavour to turn their lives around… I just wanted them to have a fair shot.”

THE CUFFED BACKSTORY

Seeing this need, the Mamelodi lass decided to create opportunities for these ex-offenders through her clothing brand, Cuffed Urban Street Wear, in 2020.

“Honestly, launching was the easy part. Like most businesses, we did not think Covid restrictions would last as long as they did. We started to feel the pinch towards the end of 2021 when we decided to close the physical store and only operate online,” says Tsetsane, who is the brand director.

The Cuffed Urban Street Wear team is a small one that includes graphic designer Tshepiso Mpofu, social media guru Connie Motseo and Mbali Masina, who is the Cuffed Urban Street Wear brand ambassador.

“The four of us keep the engine running, with each of us responsible for a different division. The stitchers come and go, as none of them are meant to be employees but rather incubated to pursue their individual dreams.”

Nkeletseng Tsetsane Brand ambassador Mbali Masina at the Cuffed Urban Street Wear shop at Kasi CoLab at Mamelodi Square

NOT FORMER CRIMINALS, BUT EX-OFFENDERS

Tsetsane corrects Spot-On that these aren’t former criminals but young people who were dealt a heavy blow in their younger years. Tsetsane speaks passionately about creating opportunity for the ex-offenders who are skilled. “Language is very important… they are not called criminals. Either exoffenders or people who have been in conflict with the law,” she says.

The brand doesn’t necessarily hire these young men and women but offers some type of incubation, insists Tsetsane. “We assist them to register their business and get access to market through Cuffed Urban Street Wear. So, this means that we have a constant flow of those coming in and going out. We started with a group of eight, while others continue to pursue other opportunities. The eight were all trained on enterprise development through a beautiful partnership with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Johannesburg branch. Some went on to be grant recipients while some pursued other opportunities, which we encourage,” says Tsetsane.

The programme currently has three young people that are being prepared for training. “But we have also decided to open the project up to other talented young people who have not been in conflict with the law. What is important is to see that young people – irrespective of their past mistakes or socioeconomic background – are given an opportunity to pursue their dreams in an economically viable manner using their talents,” she says. MAKING THE CLOTHES

A large portion of the Cuffed Urban Street Wear is made from scratch, bar small items such as bucket hats and other accessories that are storebought and branded. “Remember, the guys are stitchers and they make their money through the production of clothing pieces; if we had to buy and brand elsewhere, then they would have no income,” Tsetsane says.

“Over and above that, it keeps them busy… motivated because the excitement after production is out of this world! There are also valuable life lessons to be learned in the manufacturing process: time management, teamwork, conflict management and budgeting because they are essentially running their own businesses as they are paid for production.”

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

“The retail industry is really cutthroat – a lot of competition,” concedes the brand director. “I always say that we are not selling just clothes; we are selling young people’s dreams… we are giving them an opportunity to reimagine their lives in a practical and financially sustainable manner – that sets us apart.”

In the early days, they started production from Mahube in Tshepiso’s bedroom at home in Mamelodi. “We laugh every time we reminisce about those times. We now have a physical shop at the Kasi CoLab at Mamelodi Square. We formally launched on 27 October 2022 when the mall was officially opened.”

Their move to Mamelodi Square has been a great help for their production, as the shopping centre has a backup generator for when Eskom’s inevitable blackouts occur. “It was crazy, honestly, because – depending on the different stages – we lost a big chunk of production time. Fortunately, we now have a generator because we are at a mall.”

WHERE TO BUY

Shop online at www.cuffedonline.co.za or visit the Kasi CoLab shop at Mamelodi Square

Cuffed (clothing brand)

072 799 8889

info@cuffed.co.za

cuffedonline.co.za