Local fashion houses MaXhosa Africa, Africa Your Time Is Now, House of Fabrosanz, and Gert-Johan Coetzee are joining forces in curbing the ongoing crisis against counterfeit goods.
Under the newly formed umbrella organisation Alliance Against Counterfeits, the fashion houses aim to protect their intellectual properties.
The organisation aims to raise awareness on intellectual property, offer resources plus support to designers and advocate for stronger protections for such creative work.
Speaking to Sowetan on Thursday, they each expressed how disheartening it was for the local fashion industry when buyers would rather spend on cheaper and low-quality versions of their high-end products.
“Although we have loyal and ethical customers who value authenticity, it’s unsettling and disgusting to see knock-offs of our brand circulating widely, especially at the current levels of distribution,” said Laduma Ngxokolo, founder of MaXhosa Africa.
“Counterfeits are lowering the appeal and value our products hold for clients, and it’s frustrating to see them spreading through distribution channels. Protecting our brand’s reputation is essential to maintaining our clients’ trust and loyalty. Counterfeiting became rife for my business in 2023.”
Coetzee echoed Ngxokolo’s frustrations: “Counterfeiting has hit us hard, especially in a brand built on uniqueness and the highest design standards. When someone buys a counterfeit, they’re not just purchasing a cheaper version but something that lacks the quality and artistry that define our work.”
Coetzee said since 2019 he has seen a rapid rise in the sale of fake goods.
“These knock-offs dilute the brand, affect the overall perception of our designs, and, frankly, leave a lot of customers with a disappointing experience. It can be devastating to see your creations sold without consent or quality on the streets as it compromises both our relationship with our core customers and the integrity of the brand we work so hard to build,” Coetzee said
“With the accessibility of digital tools, counterfeiters are copying designs more easily and in many cases, it’s happening almost overnight after a new release.”
Papama Mtwisha, founder of Africa Your Time Is Now, said the first step through the organisation was to educate the public on differentiating between what is real and what is fake.
“Our hopes of joining the alliance is to help educate the client on what is real and what is not. At times, somebody would be buying a T-shirt based on the message written on it without realising that it’s a knock-off of the quality version of our T-shirt,” said Mtwisha.
“We want to reach people and bring awareness of the damage they cause when they knowingly buy into a counterfeit of our products. We also want the counterfeit producers to know that we will be dealing with them in one way or the other.
“Since 2020, my team was able to track down some of the stores that were selling counterfeits of our products. We managed to confiscate some of the products. I do believe that we going to be able to minimise it hence we are excited about the alliance.”
Sandi Mazibuko, founder of House of Fabrosanz, said she hopes there is power in unity.
“We hope coming together with other designers will help spread the message and getting the government involved so they can remove all the counterfeit. When the police do counterfeits raids they also remove local designer products from the stores that sells fakes,” Mazibuko said.
Rea Khoabane, founder of the organisation, said: “Intellectual property rights are essential for protecting creativity, innovation, and brand integrity. They allow creators to protect their unique ideas, fostering fair competition and financial growth. IP rights help consumers trust the authenticity and quality of brands, building a market that values originality and quality.”
Author: Mpheza Clara Manda
Luska, Zambia
Senior Correspondent
