GuD! Footwear Incorporation
From Creative Talent to a Growing Footwear Enterprise
The Starting Point
Kefentse Cazah Gokganwang had a valuable entrepreneurial asset: the ability to turn her creativity and craftsmanship into footwear. Her talent in leatherwork provided an opportunity to build a business around locally made products, but developing that talent into a sustainable enterprise required more than technical skill. Through GuD! Footwear Incorporation, Kefentse set out to build a proudly Botswana footwear brand combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. With the memorable slogan “If it’s a shoe, it has to be GuD!”, she began developing an identity around locally handcrafted footwear.
The Support
Through IED, Kefentse received entrepreneurship and business-development support to help her translate her creative skills into a viable enterprise. An important part of this support was assisting her to access funding through the Youth Development Fund (YDF). Access to funding provided an opportunity to strengthen the business and invest in its development, complementing the entrepreneurial knowledge and guidance she received. The support therefore went beyond entrepreneurship training by helping Kefentse connect her skills and business ambitions with the financial resources required to move the enterprise forward.
The Transformation
Today, Kefentse is building GuD! Footwear Incorporation as a Botswana footwear brand offering handcrafted sandals and shoes. The business has expanded its offering beyond individual footwear to include shoe repair services and customised footwear for corporate uniforms and special events. Her commitment to craftsmanship and product quality has also gained national recognition. In 2024, Kefentse received a Leatherwork Award at the National Arts Festival Competition, providing important recognition of the creative and technical capability behind the GuD! brand. She is progressively turning a practical skill into a business, developing a recognisable brand while participating in Botswana’s creative and manufacturing economy.
What Her Story Demonstrates
Kefentse’s journey demonstrates how entrepreneurial talent, business-development support and access to finance can work together to create an enterprise. She had the creative skill to make footwear. Entrepreneurship support helped strengthen the business around that skill, while assistance in accessing YDF funding provided an opportunity to invest in developing the enterprise. Her journey also demonstrates the economic potential contained within Botswana’s creative industries. Skills such as leatherwork and footwear production can become more than a craft: they can become businesses, brands and locally manufactured products. From handcrafted footwear to national recognition, Kefentse is demonstrating what can happen when talent is transformed into enterprise and enterprise is given the support to grow.
