Valoyi is truly an image of Africa and doing its best to keep African knowledge of craft alive.

Valoyi is a brand that is constantly working to bring Africa to the table, it is redefining the African heritage and making African art known to the world through their ethically conscious affordable luxury accessories.

 

Founder

Harmonie Mbunga is a woman of strength. Despite many obstacles in her path, Mbunga has now established her new ethical label Valoyi. With many lessons learned and many experiences in all sectors of the fashion industry, Mbunga was able to bring all this knowledge with her into Valoyi. Starting out in retail fashion, and a dream to own her own label, Mbunga created Valoyi. Her aspirations for the label are to grow it from an accessories brand to a full-fledged unisex apparel brand.

valoyi bag and woman
Photography by Saskia Wegner

Production

Valoyi is committed to retelling the stories of African craftsmanship. Working with artisans, Valoyi aims to cement the heritage of craft into the world. To produce their handbags, they use traditional means of production, which in themselves are more environmentally and ethically conscious than their modern and mass-produced counterparts. Valoyi was chosen as a name for the brand to honour and to acknowledge the African Tribe Vatsonga. The Vatsonga are a Bantu ethnic group native to Southern Mozambique and South Africa. In touch with the brand’s strength, this name was only fitting as their first female ruler rose to succession in 2002. Their current ruler Hosi T.L.P N’wamitwa II is a powerful ruler and very inspirational as a woman who fought for her role as Chief of the Vatsonga.

 

Latest

Their first collection is inspired by the historical textiles of Mali, The Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa and West Africa as a region.

Photography by Saskia Wegner
two women and valoyi bags