ACEDRIP Clothing: How a Young Randfontein Entrepreneur Built a Clothing Brand from an Informal Settlement with Limited Resources in 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutesAcedrip Clothing is a South African brand founded by a fashion designer from the informal settlements of Zenzele in Randfontein. Discover more about him.
ACEDRIP Clothing, South African clothing brand founded by Segomotso Diale, was launched in 2024 in the informal settlements in Zenzele, Randfontein, with limited resources but a vision to create clothing that represents ambition, resilience, and hope. The brand was started when Diale was just 21 years old after he identified an opportunity to create unique streetwear inspired by his community and built it without major financial backing.
With only R200, old fabric and a homemade stencil and a dream, Diale created the first ACEDRIP branded garment.
Acedrip started from humble beginnings
The idea behind ACEDRIP Clothing took shape through an unexpected opportunity in the founder’s own neighbourhood. Segomotso Diale recalled that the turning point came when three young men from his street approached him with a simple request of which was that, they wanted something unique to wear for a taxi-rank photoshoot.
With only R200, old fabric and a homemade stencil, Diale created the first ACEDRIP-branded garments. When the group’s video attracted more than 10,000 views in just two days and people began asking where they could buy the clothing, he realized there was a genuine demand for a brand that reflected the identity of the community.
According to Diale, limited resources forced him to think creatively, and that creativity ultimately became the foundation of ACEDRIP Clothing.
Difficult to establish credibility
Building the brand, however, came with significant challenges. Diale said one of the biggest obstacles was the lack of capital, as suppliers required large minimum orders that were beyond his budget, while the absence of a physical store made it difficult to establish credibility.
Rather than allowing those challenges to halt the business, he introduced a pre-order model, using WhatsApp Status to showcase designs, collect customer orders and secure 50% deposits before production began.
The brand also relied on weekend pop-up stalls at taxi ranks, soccer fields and community events, bringing the products directly to customers instead of waiting for customers to come to a shop.
“No rent, just hustle,” Segomotso Diale said, explaining that the approach generated the cash flow needed to keep the business operating.
Fashion a form of self-expression
Diale believes the identity of ACEDRIP Clothing is inseparable from the culture of Gauteng’s townships. He explained that growing up in the province taught him that fashion is both a form of self-expression and a way of navigating everyday life.
He said the brand draws inspiration from taxi culture, with its bold colours and striking designs, as well as from the practicality of township streetwear, where clothing needs to be suitable for everything from social gatherings to everyday work.
The decision to position a township-born brand as premium was intentional.
“Gauteng is fast, loud, and creative with nothing. That’s ACEDRIP, resourceful, confident, and unapologetic,” said Diale.
A needle R200 and a dream
Beyond selling clothing, Diale hopes the brand’s journey encourages young people to believe in their own potential. He wants those who see ACEDRIP Clothing grow to understand that success is not reserved for people with wealth or privileged backgrounds.
“If I can start with a needle, R200 and a dream in this same street, then your excuse is invalid,” he said.
