A top tier Namibian brand

Monique Adams

Elzane Ludeke always dreamt of owning her very own leather handbag brand but thought it might happen later in her life. She worked in the handbag manufacturing industry for four years in places such as South Africa, Portugal, Spain and France.

“I got to experience the complete behind the scenes and technicalities of manufacturing. I had assisted to start a local leather handbag factory from scratch, getting the right machinery to training the staff. It was most definitely challenging, but I realised my passion for my creation,” she says.

The AMÂNA brand is more than just a product but a reflection of yourself and your style. It truly speaks to the woman in need of a practical, functional and stylish handbag.

“Within Namibia I saw that we have a gap in the retail industry where factory-made genuine leather products are not readily available at an affordable price.

“We have amazing handmade leather craftsmen in Namibia and that is a true form of art. But I focus more on the design and technical elements to be able to have handbags manufactured at a higher quality and quantity,” she says.

Ludeke focuses on telling the Namibian story of being true to yourself. She has travelled to a lot of places but Namibia is the only place where she never had to compromise on who she is or what she wants.

Namibia’s cultures have distinct characteristics and she has learned much from them. That’s why incorporating Namibian cultures in the story of AMÂNA felt right.

Seeing that the world is moving into the digital space, more brands do their marketing and sales through their social media accounts. Ludeke believes that social media is a way to connect your brand to the people and its one of the most important and accessible tools to use today to speak to your customers.

“If you have a good marketing strategy and know how to communicate with your followers, then you start to build brand trust, ultimately leading to sales. For me social media is not about getting people to just buy the product. It is about introducing the brand, living lifestyle and being passionate about it,” she says.

The ‘Maggie’ bag, which looks small and compact but is actually spacious with a lot of compartments, is Ludeke’s favourite by far. It’s the perfect bag to try and scale down the items you put in your handbag and the ‘Maggie’ was named after her late mother, Margaret.

“My mother was a free-spirited woman. She was incredibly outgoing and spontaneous and she never let anything hold her back,” she says.

Just like any other establishment there will definitely be small or big unexpected curveballs and challenges. The year 2020 was the most challenging year for the brand AMÂNA, mainly because people did not spend their money on luxury items.

But that did not get Ludeke down and she decided to continue as normal and focus on the long-term positive effects such as more trust in online shopping in Namibia and South Africa.

One of her biggest achievements personal and business was showcasing at South African Fashion Week 2019 in the trade fair.

“I worked alongside people whom I have admired for years. I met amazing role models and some of them knew about AMÂNA before I introduced myself. Another big milestone was being ‘Entrepreneur of the Week’ by Launch Namibia, where I shared my insights and experience to fellow entrepreneurs,” she says.

Ludeke’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: “Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Sometimes people have this luxurious idea of entrepreneurship but in order to get there you need to have the mindset of no job is beneath you for the first couple of years. Be persistent; be consistent. If you do not believe in yourself, how do you expect others to believe in you?”