South African entrepreneur Lekau Sehoana is making a major comeback in the sneaker industry with the launch of Drip Sportif, just a year after the collapse of his previous brand, Drip Footwear. This new venture signifies a fresh start for Sehoana, who faced numerous challenges in the wake of Drip Footwear’s liquidation in 2024.
On February 27, 2025, Sehoana unveiled his latest creation, the “Rebirth” shoe collection, at the Mall of Africa in partnership with TAPE shops. The event marks a new chapter for the visionary entrepreneur, who has fought through adversity to make his return to the market.
In his own words, Sehoana shared the tough journey he had been through: “The past 5 months were very challenging. After our liquidation, I had to attend commissions of enquiry, my bank accounts were frozen, and assets were attached. Accountants, lawyers, auditors, and staff were subpoenaed. I refused to let the crisis take over my life, thus I refused interviews about that process. Refusing to be the face of a crisis and giving it more voice…”
He reflected on the lessons he learned from these hardships: “The experience I gained can never be taught in any university. I went through it first hand and learnt a lot of lessons, which prompted me to go back, reflect, and plan a comeback in a different approach.”
As part of his comeback plan, Sehoana celebrated the opening of the first TAPE Store at the Mall of Africa, marking the beginning of a new partnership. Drip Sportif now has a presence in 25 DRIP stores and 6 Sneaker Outlet Stores, and Sehoana is ready to face the challenge of competing directly with international sneaker brands.
“We now exist in a world where we directly compete with international brands. A new challenge we’ll take head on, and obviously with more lessons added. Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with the aim, you just got to change the target. It feels good to say, we’re BACK!!!! REBIRTH,” he said.
Sehoana’s resilience has earned him praise from fellow South African stars, including Somizi, Cassper Nyovest, and Lerato Mvelase, who all congratulated him on his successful comeback.
