As the founder of Mayaka Accessories, Lukola has built a collection of statement bags and accessories where colour, craftsmanship and individuality take centre stage.
Every piece is handcrafted bead by bead, giving the designs a distinctive quality that has become central to the brand.
For Lukola, however, Mayaka is about more than creating eye-catching accessories. It is about reimagining African craftsmanship through a contemporary lens and showing how locally made design can feel both culturally rooted and completely at home in modern fashion.
Before Mayaka Accessories became a business, it began as a creative challenge.
After graduating from film school, Lukola was navigating the uncertainty of the post-Covid job market while looking for work. During that time, she came across a beaded bag online and wondered if she could make one herself.
“I think I can make one myself,” she remembers thinking.
The first bag quickly became a conversation starter. She carried it to a wedding, where people immediately began asking about it. The same happened when she took it to restaurants and other public places.
People would stop to admire the bag and ask where she had bought it.
“I’ve never seen a bag like this before,” was a reaction she heard repeatedly.
What began as a personal creative experiment soon revealed an opportunity. Lukola saw room in South Africa for beautifully handcrafted Afrocentric accessories that felt both culturally rooted and contemporary.
Mayaka Accessories grew from that curiosity into a brand celebrating African craftsmanship while giving people a way to express their individuality through locally made design.
Lukola’s appreciation for fashion and design began long before Mayaka. She had always been drawn to beautifully made handbags, paying attention to details such as hardware, silhouettes, colour combinations and craftsmanship.
That appreciation for thoughtful design eventually found its way into her own work.
While Mayaka takes inspiration from the richness of African culture, Lukola is not interested in simply recreating traditional motifs. Instead, she draws from the continent’s colours, textures, artistry and history of craftsmanship, translating those influences into contemporary accessories.
“For me, Mayaka is about celebrating African creativity in a way that feels fresh, modern and relevant to today’s woman, while remaining proudly handcrafted,” she says.
Every bead is placed by hand, giving each piece the time, care and individuality that comes with human craftsmanship.
For Lukola, bold design should still have a practical place in everyday life.
“I don’t think there’s such a thing as too bold anymore,” she says, reflecting a growing appetite for accessories that allow people to express their individuality.
Functionality is equally important. When creating a new bag, one of the first questions she asks is whether it can fit a standard-sized phone.
“If the answer is no, I go back to the drawing board,” she says.
For her, good design exists where creativity and practicality meet: something that catches your attention but becomes a piece you continue reaching for because it works.
Being selected as a Woolworths Youth Makers 2026 winner has marked a significant milestone for Mayaka Accessories, providing the young brand with visibility, retail exposure and an opportunity to refine the business behind the products.
For Lukola, the experience has been about more than seeing Mayaka in a retail environment. It has encouraged her to think more intentionally about everything from packaging and product presentation to customer experience, merchandising and retail readiness.
“As a small business, opportunities like this don’t just increase visibility; they build credibility,” she says.
The programme has also given her the opportunity to see how customers respond to Mayaka in person, something she describes as particularly rewarding.
“Watching someone discover the brand for the first time, hear the story behind it, and genuinely appreciate the craftsmanship is incredibly special,” she says.
The experience has reinforced her belief that there is a place for handcrafted African brands within mainstream retail and that locally made products can find audiences far beyond their origins.
Like many creative entrepreneurs, Lukola has discovered that designing the product is only one part of building a sustainable brand.
“One of the biggest challenges has been learning that being a creative and being a business owner require two very different skill sets,” she says.
Running Mayaka has required her to develop an understanding of finance, operations, marketing, sales and leadership, often through trial and error.
“Great products alone aren’t enough; you also need a great business behind them,” she says.
For Lukola, creativity may draw people to a brand, but strong business foundations are what allow it to grow.
Lukola believes African creativity does not need to be introduced to the world; it has always been there. What is changing, she says, is the growing attention being paid to the talent, craftsmanship and innovation coming from the continent.
“African creativity has always existed. What’s changing is that the world is finally paying closer attention to the incredible talent, craftsmanship and innovation coming from the continent,” she says.
For Mayaka, that means creating a brand that is unmistakably African while remaining relevant to customers wherever they may be.
“We can create it here, tell our own stories, and share them with the world,” she says.
Looking ahead, Lukola wants to expand Mayaka’s retail presence while staying true to its handcrafted roots.
The brand is planning its first Bead & Chill event later this year, creating an opportunity for people to connect and make together. Lukola is also looking forward to introducing beading kits, giving customers the chance to create their own bags at home.
Further down the line, she hopes to host arts and crafts holiday sessions for children, helping introduce a new generation to the joy of making something with their own hands.
Ultimately, she wants Mayaka to become more than an accessories brand: a community built around creativity, craftsmanship and the belief that something meaningful can begin with even the smallest idea.
For young designers and creatives, Lukola’s advice comes directly from the journey that began with her first beaded bag.
“Start before you feel ready,” she says. “You don’t need to have everything figured out. Stay curious, remain teachable, and never stop learning.”
Mayaka started with one bag. Every bag starts with one bead.
“One idea, one opportunity, one decision can completely change the course of your journey,” she says.
For Lukola, the challenge is simply to keep showing up, trust the process and remember that the smallest beginnings can grow into something far greater than you imagined.
