Phiwe Mareka’s journey from learner to leather entrepreneur

Phiwe Mareka, founder of handcrafted leather brand Hide and Suede. Image supplied

A self-taught leather artisan, Mareka has grown Hide and Suede from a personal ambition into a recognised handcrafted brand producing bags, wallets, personalised gifts and leather home accessories.

Now, as one of the Woolworths Youth Makers 2026 participants, she is entering a new chapter focused on scaling the business without losing the craftsmanship and storytelling at its heart.

Mareka's route into leather began in retail. While working at a boutique that stocked some of South Africa's leading leather brands, she gained insight into how consumers choose and connect with quality products.

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“When I relocated from Cape Town to Johannesburg, I knew it was time to build the brand I had always envisioned,” she says. “I was in a position where I could have continued running the boutique, but my dream was bigger than representing other brands. I wanted to create a South African leather brand with its own identity and story.”

Rather than learning leathercraft because she wanted to become an artisan, Mareka says she learned the craft because she wanted to build Hide and Suede.

That distinction has shaped the business. Understanding the technical side of leather production has allowed her to work more effectively with her team, communicate with artisans and make informed decisions about design, construction and functionality.

Learning the craft from the ground up

Mareka's journey into leathercraft was largely self-directed. In the early days, even basic techniques presented challenges, from cutting straight lines to creating neat stitching holes.

She spent hours watching YouTube tutorials, printing wallet patterns and practising until her skills improved.

The process also taught her an important entrepreneurial lesson: progress is built through consistency rather than perfection.

“Whether you're building a business or learning a new skill, consistency and resilience matter more than perfection,” she says.

As Hide and Suede developed, her knowledge of craftsmanship became an important business asset. It helped her communicate with her artisan mentor, Lusaka, and gave her a deeper understanding of how products are constructed.

For Mareka, the lesson extends beyond leather.

“Learning the craft helped me understand every stage of the process, communicate better with my team and create products that balance beautiful design with everyday functionality,” she says.

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Designing products with a story

At a time when consumers can access mass-produced products at scale, Hide and Suede is built around a different proposition: craftsmanship, longevity and personal meaning.

Mareka believes customers are not necessarily choosing handcrafted leather simply because it is handmade. They are choosing products that can become part of their own stories.

Personalisation plays an important role.

Customers can incorporate memories into their products rather than simply adding initials or names. One particularly memorable commission featured the words “White Shirt and Grey Pants” – a reference to what the customer's husband was wearing when they first met.

“These kinds of details are what make a product truly personal,” Mareka says.

Leather also offers an advantage that few materials can replicate. Over time, it develops a patina, becoming increasingly distinctive through use.

“It becomes something that can be passed down,” she says. “I believe that's why more people are choosing craftsmanship over mass production.”

Where creativity meets commercial discipline

For Mareka, however, creating a beautiful product is only one part of building a sustainable business.

“Making a great product and building a successful business are two different skills,” she says.

Her early retail experience taught her that customers are buying more than products. They are also buying trust, knowledge and service.

That understanding has pushed her to invest in business education alongside her craft. She reads business books, develops new skills and is currently working with her team to learn Adobe Illustrator to digitise patterns and improve product development.

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The approach reflects a broader shift in the creative economy, where artisans increasingly need to combine traditional skills with commercial, technological and operational capabilities.

Mareka's own advice to other creative entrepreneurs is straightforward: “Invest as much time in learning business as you do in learning your craft.”

A South African brand with global ambitions

Local craftsmanship is central to Hide and Suede, but Mareka does not believe South African businesses should have to choose between celebrating their origins and competing internationally.

“South Africa has incredibly talented artisans and access to some of the finest leather,” she says.

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Her ambition is therefore not simply to sell products because they are locally made. It is to build a brand whose quality and design stand on their own.

“My goal is for people to choose Hide and Suede not simply because it's made in South Africa, but because it's beautifully designed, thoughtfully made and proudly South African,” she says.

That balance between local identity and international ambition is increasingly relevant as consumers seek products with authentic stories while South African entrepreneurs look for opportunities to build globally competitive businesses.

Woolworths Youth Makers opens a new chapter

Being selected for the Woolworths Youth Makers 2026 programme has given Mareka an opportunity to test Hide and Suede at a larger retail scale.

The programme's retail mentorship has challenged her to look closely at the brand's product range, pricing, competitors and cost structures, while also considering what will resonate with the Woolworths customer.

“It has accelerated our growth in practical ways,” she says.

The mentorship has also helped Mareka make more informed decisions around products and materials, balancing her creative instincts with customer demand and the realities of the retail environment.

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Beyond the retail opportunity, she says the business mentorship has been equally valuable.

The programme has encouraged her to think more strategically about operations, systems, business strategy, brand visibility and social media.

“What I value most about the programme is that it supports both the business and the entrepreneur behind it,” she says.

For a growing artisan business, that distinction matters. Building a sustainable company requires founders to develop alongside their products.

Building more than a leather brand

Mareka's ambitions extend beyond growing Hide and Suede's customer base.

Her long-term vision is to create a globally recognised South African leather brand known for thoughtful design, quality craftsmanship and meaningful storytelling.

But she also wants the business to become a platform for opportunity.

As Hide and Suede grows, Mareka hopes to create jobs for skilled artisans, preserve local craftsmanship and inspire a new generation of creative entrepreneurs to view their talents as viable commercial opportunities.

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Eventually, she would like to mentor and coach entrepreneurs herself, passing on the lessons she has gained through building the business.

“Start before you feel ready and don't be afraid to learn as you go,” she says.

That philosophy perhaps best captures the journey of Hide and Suede so far. What began with a founder teaching herself how to cut leather and stitch a wallet has evolved into a business with ambitions that reach well beyond the workshop.

For Mareka, the ultimate measure of success will not simply be the number of products sold.

“If Hide and Suede becomes known not only for creating beautiful leather products but also for creating opportunities, preserving craftsmanship and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs, then I'll know we've built something meaningful.”