Meet Jeff and Tracy from Ottercat Clothing

I met Jeff and Tracy a few years ago at the Great Outdoors Expo in a blistering hot Suncoast Casino carpark.  We were both there marketing our locally designed and manufactured products in the lifestyle section of the expo. 

I personally didn’t have a great sales day at the expo for a number of reasons, which I won’t bore you with for now.  But what I did learn is that it’s not always about what happens on the day, but the spin offs from your efforts can be just as lucrative and pivotal for your business.  I was in the process of looking for a new CMT for a fitness accessory product I was going to be launching. Tracy and I got chatting and as it turned out, she also offered CMT over and above manufacturing her own brand, Ottercat, a South African clothing brand.  We met a few days later and as they say the rest is history.  Tracy has been doing my CMT since, and my product sells through various local channels and we even have a distribution partner in Dubai.  Besides been very proud that my small business, with a local product idea is loved locally and is available in Dubai, it is testament that there is no reason why we shouldn’t be buying more from small local businesses offering great quality locally made products.

And that’s exactly what you would be buying if you bought a product from Ottercat Clothing.  A local clothing brand that is of exceptional quality and is the epitome of a South African brand. With a small-scale manufacturing set up in Pinetown, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Tracy and Jeff specialize in unique printed water repellent windbreakers, golfers, shorts, shirts, and hats.

Their mission is to provide a stylish and functional local clothing line that meets the needs of both urban explorers and outdoor enthusiasts. They pride themselves on the quality and uniqueness of their products, ensuring each piece is not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly practical. They have wonderful unique prints that will strongly resonate with South Africans.  From prints with South African slang and foods, to the Springboks and the beautiful protea, you won’t get more Mzansi than this.  Even Kevin Fraser, one of South Africa’s most loved comedians, couldn’t resist wearing the South African slang golfer and bucket hat.

Ottercat was also one of the first local South African brands to sign up as a vendor with We R Local, sharing in our vision to get local brands the support they need and deserve, via an online shopping site for local products only.  You can browse and purchase some of their most popular products online at www.werlocal.co.za/store/ottercatclothing.  They are also at the Shongweni Farmers and Craft Market every Saturday.

Till our next blog, Shop Local, Support Dreams