KIGALI, WEF Africa: MASS jobs or productivity? Every year some 11 million young Africans enter the job market, only to join tens of millions of others struggling with limited work opportunities on the continent, creating the conditions for social unrest.

Ally Angula has in less than two years after starting her business branched out into agriculture and established Namibia’s first commercial clothing brand sold in her own retail outlets. This year, the 35-year-old mother of two was chosen as the first Namibian to join approximately 200 peers as a Young Global Leader under the auspices of the World Economic Forum. 

My Republik, a brand under the Leap Holdings umbrella is Namibia’s first commercial clothing brand that is not only retailed in a branded outlet but also designed, developed, cut, trimmed and stitched in Namibia. My Republik was founded with the goal of offering the modern man and woman the best fitting clothes for any occasion, be it in the office or a day out in town. It aims to produce the best quality clothing that is in a class ready to compete on platforms in Namibia, in Africa and beyond.

As Namibia’s first clothing brand, not only retailed in a branded outlet, but that is also designed, developed, cut, trimmed and stitched locally, the team had plenty to celebrate as they looked back on their first year in business. Building a brand from scratch is no easy feat and although they were challenged, the team behind My Republik persisted in delivering a unique shopping experience, such as free alterations and offering coffee and water to welcome customers as they shopped, which kept them coming back for more.

While the creation of the Agro Marketing Trading Agency (AMTA) has addressed the issue of marketing fresh produce for Namibian farmers, it has not addressed the issue of pricing. This is according to Ally Angula, Managing Director of Leap Holdings, which also owns Leap Agriculture, the group’s farming arm that focuses on supplying fresh produce to retailers and the general public. The farming operation is based approximately 30 km outside Tsintsabis in the Oshikoto Region.

Right on the heels of Namibia’s emergence as the third most entrepreneurial country in sub-Saharan Africa by the GEI ranking, the southwest African country is celebrating yet another global success in entrepreneurship. Serial entrepreneur, Ally Angula’s clothing company – My Republik was crowned the best woman-owned business at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit GES 2015 in July.