We sought a uniform reflecting Capitec pride. Criteria: local, sustainable, and aligned with our vision.
What began as a year-long tender process has finally come to fruition with the selection of one local business to assist us in the makeover of our Capitec uniforms for all 11 000 of our employees – keeping the production right here in South Africa.
We went through a rigorous tender process to choose just the right supplier, a company that’s innovative and cost-effective, with a proudly South African identity and that employs and manufactures locally. Image Corporate Wear, a subsidiary of the larger Imagemakers, was just this company. Design and manufacturing are done in Cape Town, with the focus on producing quality clothing that people would want to wear.
Sbusiso Kumalo, our head of Brand Marketing, led this project. He had a clear brief for the new corporate uniform range: a set of stylish and comfortable garments that are made from quality fabrics that each employee can wear with a sense of pride. “I’ve spent years listening closely to feedback from employees about their uniforms to find out what they feel most comfortable in. You work 8 hours a day in your uniform; it should be worn with pride,” he says.
Imagemakers and the Capitec marketing team spent more than 3 weeks bringing the brief to life. The result is a pair of trousers, a classically streamlined dress, a few different shirts and blouses, and a sharply-cut blazer, which allows each employee to mix and match their outfits to suit their own personal taste and style.
“We chose subtle Capitec touches, such as red stitching around the eyelets, branded lining for the jackets and a distinct Capitec paisley pattern on the reverse side of sleeves and collars. The goal is for every employee to feel like an extension of the Capitec brand without sacrificing their personality or style while wearing their new Capitec uniforms,” says Sbusiso.
We wanted all uniforms to be rolled out at the same time with our employees stepping into our branches with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. To meet this challenge, Imagemakers had to employ and upskill an additional 120 people, bringing their team on this project to about 500 employees at any given time.
“I’m going to say it’s part of my handiwork,” said Simone van Rooy, a cutter at Imagemakers. “It’s not only my handiwork, but I’m part of it. I’m very happy and proud to see the product that we produced.”
And we’re very proud to be able to re-energise our team and to support local business with this project.
