The idea is born
In 2013 the idea was born to create a brand that was relatable for South Africans. In a world filled with “New York” and “Paris” branded t-shirts the dream was born to create a local brand with international quality. After a long coffee-session at Magnolia Dell in Pretoria a few inexperienced young people started making lists of place-names, sayings and images that locals could wear with pride. The first shirts were printed and a long road of hard-sales at markets and agricultural fairs had begun. Little did we know at that that was the beginning of De Afrikander Handelshuis. Things really started picking up when we finally got our first national wholesale client who ordered more in one month than we sold in a year. Their insistence that we remove the words “since 1652” from a design brought our sojourn with this retailer to a halt and resulted in a garage full of stock. Necessity led us to opening our own store in 2017 at the Voortrekker Monument, bringing together a range of Afrikaans products under one roof.
The start of Republk
In 2019 the t-shirt and accessories range was re-branded as Republk while the store name remained Handelshuis. Shortly thereafter with luck and we believe divine intervention, the managing director of another national retailer saw the potential of our products at a Day of the Covenant celebration and thereafter Republk products became available in 4 retail stores. By 2021 Republk products were available in 15 stores, in 2022 in around 60 and by 2023 we crossed the 100 mark. After this growth we moved offices and opened our first distribution in Centurion and in 2024 we moved offices once more and we are now located in Garsfontein. Today we can proudly say we are in more than 175 stores country-wide and we are geared to grow this number in future.
Not glory but blessing
The story of Republk is definitely not a story of any one individual or group that grew the business but rather a testament to how God has used ordinary individuals to fulfill his plan. The success we have had thus far was not because we made the right decisions - in fact it was often in spite of all the wrong decisions. As we grow we will always hold on to the values of high quality, classic style - all with a drop of the African nature in our veins. To find your true north means to embark on the journey always conscious of the fact that a higher hand is guiding you. Wear Repubk and live that adventure with us!
