Makaraba goes international

The typical Makaraba, that display support to local teams and their sponsors, originated in the early ‘80s and is worn with intense pride by South African soccer fans. Since each one is traditionally hand-sculpted and painted, they are difficult to produce easily and quickly for large orders.

Michael Souter, a trained graphic designer, started the Makoya Makaraba six years ago as a project to create employment and to develop a product for the sports fans of the world that was uniquely South African. From small beginnings, the company and the Makaraba have grabbed world attention. Every component of the product is manufactured in South Africa.

Commercial benefits

Paul Simon, YDE founder, joined Makoya Designs to help grow the phenomenon. “I was introduced to Michael around six months ago and based on the massive potential I saw in the product, I decided to get involved and Makoya Designs was established as its own entity.''

Makoya fan helmets are perfectly suited for both corporate branding and the retail market and come complete with clip-on /clip-off display ears. The helmets are top quality and can be worn repeatedly, adding great flair to the visual excitement in the stadiums of every sport event. Together with the Vuvuzela, they are ‘Loudly and Proudly South African' in colour and design.