5 days ago
- Automotive
- The South African
Local fashion designer looks to launch SA's first car brand
Skinny Sbu, who is best known for his fashionable sock line has made a move into the automative industry.
Sbu has been working on a locally created and manufactured car brand since 2022.
South Africa's century-old automotive sector is at the precipice of a definitive change. South Africa has enjoyed decades of production and assembly of globally created brands, but the country has never launched a commercially viable brand of its own. This is what Sbu hopes to address with his SSS car brand.
In the commercial sense, no, but there are a few niche automotive brands from the country. For instance, Birkin Cars, known for producing Lotus-styled sports cars and has been doing so since the 1980s.
There is also Bailey Cars, a brand the specialises in hand-built replicas usually for international markets. Finally, we also have Advanced Automotive Design (ADD) a boutique manufacturer who focus on futuristic looking concept cars. Sbu may very well have found himself an open lane with his SSS Cars.
The Forbes 30-Under-30 honouree, made more than a few ripples in the fashion industry from very early on in his career with the launch of Skinny Sbu Socks. Sibusiso Ngwenya, or Sbu September as he has become affectionately known, saw his premium fashion brand earn international acclaim when he was featured on CNN.
His socks were also included in a Grammy Awards gift bag in 2022. His socks have also found space on the shelves of large clothing franchises like The Foschini Group as well as Superbalist.
News of his plans to launch SSS Cars garnered him praise from the highest office in the land, with President Cyril Ramaphosa commending his intentions.
Sbu's automotive startup, SSS Cars, is looking to define what African luxury looks like on the roads. Since its inception in 2022, his company has quietly gone about creating its first lineup of premium vehicles. These are designed with a younger global demographic in mind, with a focus on style rather than legacy.
The young visionary would like nothing more than for his cars to be as culturally impactful as his line of socks has been. SSS Cars is raising funding with a hefty amount needed to see this vision come to fruition. His dream is likely to cost upwards of R270 million, but this move should help put South Africa on the map as an automotive creator and not solely a renowned assembler.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
