Johannesburg · Est. 2014 · 100% Women-Made
Where Waste Becomes a Woman's Work of Art.
Luxury fashion rooted in the circular economy - crafted by South African women, from South African earth. Each piece carries a story older than the brand.
"We are not just building a brand — we are building a system where waste becomes opportunity, and communities become manufacturers."
The Fabrics
Every thread has a name.
Every cloth carries a history.
The materials Ledikana works with are not decorative choices. They are living archives — woven from culture, resistance and earth. To wear one is to carry a story.
01
Sotho Origin · Eastern Cape · Since the 1840s
Shweshwe
Shweshwe arrived in South Africa with German settlers in the 1840s, printed with indigo dye on a stiff cotton base. But Southern African women — Sotho, Xhosa, Zulu — adopted it, transformed it, and made it entirely their own. A declaration that beauty was not something that could be colonised.
Indigo-dyed cotton
Heritage cloth
Women's sovereignty
02
Tsonga · Limpopo Province · Ceremonial Cloth
Tsonga Xhibelane
The Xhibelane — a vibrant woven fabric from the Limpopo lowveld — is worn for initiation ceremonies, for weddings, for the moments when a community gathers to mark a life changing. Its bold stripes and earthy pigments come from a tradition of natural dyeing that predates the textile trade.
Woven ceremony
Limpopo origins
Natural pigments
03
Recycled PET · Plastic Bottles → Fabric
PET Felt
Ledikana sources PET plastic bottles collected by waste pickers at South African landfill sites — shredding them into pellets, extruding them into fibre, and pressing that fibre into a felt fabric that is durable, beautiful, and completely recycled. That is what the circular economy looks like when it goes all the way to the end.
Recycled PET bottles
Circular production
Zero virgin material
Fashion that carries the soul of a nation.
How It's Made
From landfill to luxury —
in six hands.
We don't begin at the cutting table. We begin at the dump site. Every product is the end of a journey that starts with someone most supply chains never acknowledge.
Stage One
1
The waste picker collects
Informal waste pickers at landfill sites across Johannesburg collect PET plastic bottles that would otherwise be buried or burned.
An estimated 90,000 South Africans earn a living from waste picking.
01
Stage two
2
Bottles become fibre
Collected bottles are cleaned, shredded into flakes, and melted into pellets. Those pellets are extruded into fine polyester filament - the raw thread of the next life.
Approx. 25 PET bottles go into a single Ledikana tote bag
02
Stage three
3
Fibre becomes felt
The extruded filament is carded and needle-punched into felt sheets — a thick, dense, luxuriously tactile fabric.
Local felt production reduces South Africa's reliance on imported synthetic fabrics.
03
Stage four
4
The pattern is cut - nothing is wasted
Our makers cut patterns from using zero-waste layouts. The small offcuts that remain? They become the raw material for our soft toys, bowties, hair accessories, and headwraps. Nothing leaves this studio as waste.
Zero-waste pattern cutting is a technical skill. Our makers train in it.
04
Stage five
5
Made by hand, in Joburg
The women who make these products are employed, trained, and recognised by name - each product carries the quiet signature of the hands that built it.
Currently 12 makers. Target: 50 by 2027.
05
Stage six
6
Carried into the world
The finished product reaches you. It arrives with the full weight of its story. Carry it knowing what it used to be, and who made it possible.
Available at OR Tambo Airport, City Lodge, Sanctuary Mandela, Takealot, Makro, and online.
06
"Even the offcuts become something. In this studio, nothing has an end — only a next beginning."
Ethically Made
Sustainably Sourced
Proudly South African
Ethically Made
Sustainably Sourced
Proudly South African
Ethically Made
Sustainably Sourced
Proudly South African
Ethically Made
Sustainably Sourced
Proudly South African
Ethically Made
Sustainably Sourced
Proudly South African
Ethically Made
Sustainably Sourced
Proudly South African
Ethically Made
Sustainably Sourced
Proudly South African
Ethically Made
Sustainably Sourced
Proudly South African
Ethically Made
Sustainably Sourced
Proudly South African
Ethically Made
Sustainably Sourced
Proudly South African
Our Golf Range
Find Your Match
Bottle Green golf dress with white trim
This bottle green golf dress combines timeless elegance with sporty functionality. The rich bottle green color gives it a sophisticated, polished look, while the classic...
Green golf dress with African print
This African print golf dress blends classic golf style with vibrant African-inspired design, creating a look that is both elegant and eye-catching
Ndebele Print Golf Dress – On and Off the Course
This elegant white golf dress combines classic golf styling with vibrant Ndebele-inspired prints on the collar and sleeves. The colourful geometric patterns reflect the rich...
Golf Socks
Elevate your golf game with our expertly crafted Golf Socks. Designed for the avid golfer, they provide ultimate comfort and functionality on the green. Made...
Golf T-shirts
Expertly designed for avid golfers, our Golf T-shirts feature a unique and stylish ndebele and shweshwe print. Ideal for everyday wear, these t-shirts offer both...
Babina Noko Ladies Tights
These high-quality Babina Noko Ladies Tights offer a snug and flexible fit, perfect for any activity. Made with stretch material, they provide maximum comfort and...
Shweshwe Men's Shorts
100% cotton, seshweshwe material shorts, designed for comfort and durability. The fabric is carefully selected for its softness and breathability and with the iconic seshweshwe...
Floppy Bucket Hat
This plain cotton floppy bucket hat is perfect for sunny days. Made from soft and breathable cotton, it offers adjustable sizing for a comfortable fit....
Golf Skirt
Take your golf game to the next level with our Ledikana Golf Skirt! Made of ultra light-weight, cooling, and moisture-wicking material, this skirt is perfect...
Shweshwe paperboy caps
Crafted with authentic shweshwe material, our unisex paperboy cap is the perfect blend of style and culture. This cap is a unique addition to any...
Ledikana Champagne Bag
Sold out
The Ledikana Champagne Bag combines style and functionality with a golf inspired print and insulated interior. Designed to fit one bottle of champagne or wine,...
EXPLORE OUR
Girls Collection
Kiddies Dress
Sold out
"Made with 100% cotton fabric and adorned with traditional shweshwe trimming, the Shwe kiddies dress offers not only comfort but also a touch of cultural...
Kiddies Dress with Belt
This sleeveless kiddies dress combines traditional Shweshwe fabric with striking Ndebele and Tsonga patterns, exuding vibrant cultural heritage. Featuring a delicate bow and an adjustable...
3/4 Shwe Kiddies Jumpsuit
Adorable shweshwe jumpsuit designed for active kids. Features classic 3/4 sleeves and legs in vibrant traditional patterns. Comfortable fit perfect for playdates, family gatherings, or...
The Makers
12 Women.
12 Livelihoods.
One circular vision.
"Before Ledikana, I was selling vegetables at the taxi rank. Now I teach other women how to felt. That's not just a job — that's a legacy."
Thandi · Artisan Maker · 4 Years with Ledikana
MR
Mapholo Ratau
Founder & CEO
12 years · Finance Background · SIGMA Graduate 2026
"I was retrenched in 2014 with a side project and a clear-eyed belief that waste was an industry, not a problem. Ledikana is what that belief became."
TN
Thandi
Senior Artisan · Felting Specialist
4 years · Now training incoming makers
"I never thought I could make something with my hands that someone would pay for. Now I teach other women how to do exactly that."
NM
Nomsa
Pattern Cutter · Zero-Waste Specialist
3 years · Trained in zero-waste pattern cutting
"Zero-waste cutting looks like a puzzle. Once you learn to see it, you can't unsee it — every offcut becomes a possibility."
Makers Employment Journey · 2014 → 2027
The Impact
Numbers that account for the whole story.
100+
Tonnes of plastic waste diverted from landfill annually — at scale
≈ 5 million bottles
12 → 50
Women employed today, on the journey to 50 makers
Direct + indirect employment
0%
Fabric waste — every offcut becomes a new product
Zero-waste manufacturing standard
100%
Women-owned, women-operated, women-led
Since 2014
Every Ledikana bag purchase diverts approximately 12 kg of plastic from landfill.
Your purchase is part of the system — not separate from it.
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