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By Fiona Wakelin

It was in 2021 when Nolwazi Mdunge began her creative journey of building a brand which is a fashion and beauty online store bringing in the hottest trends and wardrobe must-haves. In 2022, she then introduced the Khulile brand. She shares that she’s always been into fashion trends and jewellery. “I’m a lover of the finer things life has to offer and jewellery is surely one of those.” We caught up with Nolwazi to learn more about the story behind the brand:

Please describe your creative journey

Khulile was founded after seeing a gap in the market for the type of jewellery pieces I enjoyed wearing which I was importing. 

I then realised that there was a market for this jewellery when too many people were complimenting it and asking where I buy it and that is when the idea was born. The name Khulile is of Zulu origin and means we have “grown or multiplied”. 

Khulile is a brand founded in the heart of Durban, South Africa in 2022 and aims to be at the cutting edge of jewellery trends delivering elegant everyday style to customers. All pieces are imported and every piece tells a story, revealing the craftsmanship with every crystal cut.  Our mission is to offer customers quality and exquisite timeless pieces. Khulile is a sister company to Nana & Co and MduBenjamin and all the brands are housed under Mdunge and Company (Pty) Ltd.

What range of products is on offer at Khulile?

Khulile offers a wide range of jewellery pieces from necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets, giving customers a chance to express their many facets. Our most innovative range includes our lab-grown stone collection. The lab-grown stones are optically and physically identical to mined stones but created above ground.

What have been some of your most memorable, creative AHA moments?

Some of the memorable AHA moments thus far include partnering with Topco to sponsor the Standard Bank Top Women awards and sponsoring the 2022 GIBS Women in Business Breakfast. Wearing a brand that I have curated is always an AHA moment.

Where can customers see your range and make purchases?

Customers can view the Khulile range on the online store: www.khulile.com and purchase via the website. We will be opening our Instagram page soon so customers can be on the lookout for this.

What exciting plans do you have for 2023?

We plan to invest in our brand and marketing division to bring innovative solutions to the strategy that will help us reach our target market faster. We plan to have pop-up stores and partner with fashion designers to showcase our jewellery at events. We also want to introduce a customisable range for our customers. The medium to long-term plans includes building an international presence and entering new markets. Whilst in the process of achieving these plans, we hope to hire more staff to help reduce unemployment in South Africa.

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