A Luxury Streetwear Brand That Reflects Africa’s Dynamic Culture

When Hacjivah Dayimani and Bheka Dlamini first connected, it was clear that their shared love for contemporary fashion had the potential to give birth to something special.

A mutual respect and appreciation for high quality apparel and footwear, as well as the process, skill and craftsmanship required to produce such garments, meant that it was only a matter of time before Hacjivah Dayimani and Bheka Dlamini put their passion to pen and paper, and started designing what we now know as Hibacci.

From the start, the goal was clear – create items that both celebrate and reflect Africa’s dynamic and diverse cultures, through the use of nothing but the best locally-sourced textiles and patterns, while also combining our rich cultural heritage and global contemporary fashion trends, to create an African luxury streetwear unlike any the world’s ever seen.

A big goal indeed and, together with Hibacci’s uncompromising approach to their manufacturing process, the brand is now firmly on its way to making that happen.

Since Hibacci’s inception, their team looked to do things differently, with their first point of difference being to remove the importing of materials, as well as the manufacturing of their products from abroad completely. They instead committed to and invested fully in local production.

This meant that the Hibacci shoe-making process took on a very different approach with the finest quality materials being sourced from across South Africa – including collecting the finest leathers and suedes from Cape Town, and transporting them to Johannesburg for manufacturing.

While manufacturing costs are certainly higher than other luxury streetwear competitors in the same space, the Hibacci team are able to maintain quality standards, while also ensuring that jobs are created in the South African fashion industry – both of which is incredibly important to Dayimani, Dlamini and the Hibacci team.

With the brand’s focus predominately in the luxury footwear space for now, its main objective has been to create a silhouette that can offer both maximum comfort and premium design, all while ensuring that customer wait times – from purchase up until they receive their handmade Hibacci shoes – are kept to a minimum .

It’s not an easy task, which is why a big part of the brand’s focus was to invest in local design and manufacturing talent to ultimately ensure that South African consumers, and lovers of high quality fashion, can experience and obtain a product of the highest quality, without needing to look abroad.

“We have an incredible team of fifteen designers and shoe-makers, which is big for us. While it’s been almost four years, there is still a lot of the fashion industry that were hit heavily by Covid,” Dayimani explans.

“For us then to be able to creating meaningful jobs that improve the livelihoods of citizens, it’s a big part of why we do what we do. This team is responsible for bringing our vision and shoes to life, ensuring the highest quality of design and production.”

To date, the brand has come to be loved for its original design, dubbed the Sultan Low, which comes in a variety of colorways, and is available in men and women’s sizes. Featuring some of the country’s finest

leathers and materials, the latest Sultan Low features a multi-paneled upper, and has a sleek and clean design, making it the ultimate choice for all occasions that require chic dressing down or up.

“The luxury landscape has evolved in an interesting manner over the last couple of years; and our ambition is to grow alongside high-quality, locally-manufactured brands such as MaXhosa and Tshepo Jeans – who continue to prove that consumers are proud to don and support high-quality South African brands,” Bheka comments.

“Not only that, but brands that are actively contributing to the stimulation of the economy in our market.”

Hibacci’s success, to date, lies within the integration of streetwear into the world of luxury fashion – a sweet spot which the team feels has reshaped the industry and allowed Hibacci to push the boundaries and reimagine old school and traditional concepts of style, luxury and sophistication.

In the ever-evolving world of fashion, trends come and go, but high quality products, combined with authentic story-telling will forever be in style. Hibacci gets this and, as they continue to roll out their unique pieces, don’t be surprised if we see not only South Africa and Africa take notice, but also the rest of the world.

For more information or to shop the Hibacci range, visit www.Hibacci.com and follow @hibacci on Instagram, X for updates, releases, and news.