Siyanda Stofile began making jewelry as a hobby and selling it at flea markets while studying law. After gaining popularity on social media and television, she decided to focus full-time on growing her Butter Jewellery brand. Stofile has expanded from beads to include precious metals in her designs. She aims to support other women entrepreneurs through her company.

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T
he personal can meet professional in rare, calculated instances.
That is true for Siyanda Stofile, who at 26 is the founder and
creative force behind the Butter Jewellery brand in South Africa.
She began at a small flea market in Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern
Cape and now appears on television lifestyle shows while selling her
jewelry exclusively at South African boutiques.
Stofile says she cannot divorce her personality from the brand. To her,
it is more than just a business.
“Every woman is unique and we pride ourselves in our ability to make
women stand out.”
Although she speaks with confidence and conviction about her
business, Stofile had an inward battle because she struggled to believe her
craft would lead to a lucrative career. Faced with the dilemma of pursuing
her passion or a career in law, she eventually decided to relocate from
Johannesburg to Nelson Mandela Bay to continue with her law studies.
One day, a friend at university uploaded a photo of her jewelry onto
micro-blogging site Twitter. The online publicity got her a response from
model and radio personality Claire Mawisa who wanted one of her pieces.
Mawisa supported and encouraged Stofile to make a career of her
talent. The bewildered and uneasy 22-year-old realized she could become
a jewelry designer with that kind of support. She began designing for
herself and friends. Her popularity grew and soon she was receiving calls
from others who had seen her work. One of those calls was an invite for a
profile on South African television luxury lifestyle magazine Top Billing.
After the television debut, calls from Botswana to Dubai began
trickling in. Her hobby had been transformed into a business so she had
to develop a business plan. She decided to drop her law studies and invest
her time to raise seed funds. She took on a day job, selling energy drinks
and in the evenings, she would make jewelry.
Now simply called Butter, brand forays into bridal couture, wedding
cakes, accessories and chandeliers are being planned. Stofile has also
expanded her raw material. She’s adding metals to her range after
predominantly working with beads. After training in jewelry design-
making from the Novus Jewellery Design Studio in Pretoria, she has
created a collection of gold, silver and copper pieces.
“What surprised me the most through this journey was the
goodness of people, as a lot of women supported me, from my mother
Claire, Lebo and Zahara to the alumni of Queenstown Girls High.
Through that, I have become a better person and want to support
other women through my company.” FW
– Thando Matutu
How did your collection come about?
I had difficulties finding shoes because of my small feet. I
was literally shopping in the kid’s section. When I turned
18, it was boring shopping there, because they didn’t
have gorgeous heels and platforms that are glamorous. I
got R300,000 ($28,000) from my father, who is also my
mentor, to start my shoe business.
What did you study?
I have an honors degree in accounting and finance from
the London Metropolitan University. This qualification
allows me to do my own book-keeping and I am involved
in making sure the business is financially-sound.
How do you give back?
Giving back is really important to me. I am one of
the ambassadors of Cheese Kids and we go around
disadvantaged areas in Johannesburg and surrounding
areas and we paint schools, host karaoke nights and
the like.
Any mistakes so far?
Not doing basic research before getting into business. I
now know how important it is to read up on business in
general, do a market analysis.
Your plans for the future?
To possibly have my range of shoes sold in high-end retail
stores like Stuttafords; and to design a men’s collection.
My third collection is still in the works and should be out
within the next 12 months. FW
– Leigh-Ann Carey
She is only 25, but Carren ‘Eda Rose’ Lamperini runs a
shoe and bag business, sings, acts and also does radio and
TV. Born to a South African mother and Italian father, this
managing director of ER Collection sells handmade leather
shoes, sometimes embellished with Swarovski crystals.
No Biz Like Shoe Biz
Siyanda Stofile
Minting
Money
From
Metal
Eda Rose
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