Ragmah Jappie

What does your company do?

We are in the textile and wholesale business and we have 2 business entity's . Campus Lifestyle™ – A brand management and manufacturing company that designs, produces, and retails school uniforms, corporate wear, and branded apparel for educational institutions. It operates retail stores on campuses, schools, Technikons offering students and staff direct access to branded merchandise. Fieka™ – A proudly South African sportswear and athleisure brand, focused on creating high-quality athletic apparel for schools, clubs, sport bodies and institutions as well as professional athletes. Fieka also sponsors and supports emerging athletes and community sports development. Together, these brands: Manufacture all their garments locally in their in-house factory. Manage institutional branding through retail stores at universities and colleges (including a long-standing partnership with the University of the Western Cape). Aim to revitalize the textile industry through job creation, local manufacturing, and youth skills development. Ragmah’s newest venture, the FTC Training Centre, will offer a 9-month accredited training programme to equip young people—especially from disadvantaged communities—with skills in garment production and entrepreneurship, helping them enter the workforce or start their own small-scale manufacturing businesses.

What is your biggest success?

My greatest success has been building a fully homegrown, women-led company that owns its entire supply chain—from manufacturing to retail. Now, I’m stepping into a bold new chapter: reviving South Africa’s textile industry through a national training initiative. Launching in March 2026, the FTC Academy is a tuition-free, 9-month programme focused on garment construction and entrepreneurship, tailored for youth who cannot afford tertiary education. This initiative is about more than job creation it’s about building sustainable ecosystems. Graduates will either be employed in our expanding factory (targeting 1,000+ jobs) or establish micro “container factories” in their own communities. With strategic partners secured, we are restoring dignity and creating viable, long-term career paths. Our mission is to reimagine manufacturing as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth. Additionally, our homegrown sports brand, Fieka™, has grown into a recognized and trusted name across the country, further proving the power of purpose-driven, locally rooted entrepreneurship.

What has been your biggest hurdle?

My biggest hurdle has been navigating the challenges of growth without adequate infrastructure or consistent support. Building a fully women-led, locally owned company in a male-dominated, resource-constrained industry has required immense resilience. From starting with minimal capital and no formal fashion training, to learning the complexities of manufacturing, managing cash flow, and creating employment all while carrying the weight of being a woman in business, I’ve faced rejection, discrimination, and doubt. But perhaps the most difficult challenge has been sustaining and scaling the business in an industry that lacks skilled labor. This pushed me to dream bigger, leading to the creation of the FTC Academy. Instead of breaking under the pressure, I built a solution: training the next generation of factory workers and entrepreneurs. Every setback forced me to innovate, and every obstacle became the blueprint for something greater. It’s through these trials that I’ve discovered both my strength and my purpose.