From Bursary Setback to Timeless Brand: How Sakhile Built a Watch Business That Redefined Trust and Personalization
From Bursary Setback to Timeless Brand: How Sakhile Built a Watch Business That Redefined Trust and Personalization. For many students, a failed bursary payment marks the end of a dream. For Sakhile, it became the start of one. When his university bursary failed to pay his fees, he made a difficult decision, to drop out and build something entirely his own. From the halls of Wits University, where he once studied, he began selling custom watches to fellow students.
What started as a small hustle to make ends meet evolved into Aumax, a South African watch brand that blends durability, style, and emotional value. Each timepiece tells a story, not only of time but of transformation.
From Library Sales to Local Manufacturing
Sakhile’s business roots trace back to the Wits library, where he sold personalized watches between lectures. He saw how people didn’t just want accessories, they wanted meaning. This realization shaped the brand’s philosophy: every product should carry a personal story.
As demand grew, he transitioned from reselling to manufacturing, ensuring every Aumax watch met high standards of quality. The brand now produces waterproof, stainless-steel watches, locally designed and built to last. More importantly, they’re crafted to connect emotionally with their owners.
Customers can customize each watch with personal images, engraved messages, and signature notes on the box, small touches that turn each product into a memory.
Building Trust Through Innovation
One of Sakhile’s most innovative moves came with his approach to customer service. Understanding the fear that often comes with online purchases, he introduced a cash-on-delivery model. This meant customers could see, feel, and try on their watch before paying, no risk, no pressure.
With a team of in-house delivery agents across Durban, Cape Town, and Gauteng, Aumax began offering something that even big brands overlook: trust. This personal delivery system not only built confidence among first-time buyers but also deepened the relationship between brand and customer.
Lessons from Sakhile’s Journey
1. Turn adversity into opportunity.
Dropping out could have ended his path, but Sakhile used the setback as fuel. Entrepreneurs should remember that the best business ideas often come from solving personal challenges.
2. Start where you are, with what you have.
Sakhile began with minimal resources, selling from a university library but his focus on quality and storytelling gave his brand early credibility.
3. Make your product emotional.
By turning watches into storytelling tools, he tapped into human connection. Entrepreneurs should ask: how does my product make people feel?
4. Build trust first, profit later.
Aumax’s cash-on-delivery model eliminated customer hesitation. In a digital economy where scams are common, trust can be a brand’s strongest currency.
5. Keep your business close to your community.
Instead of outsourcing deliveries, Sakhile hired locally and offered a face-to-face experience. This strengthened both his network and his reputation.
Expanding with Purpose
Today, Aumax has grown into a recognizable name in South Africa’s emerging watch market. The brand has maintained its focus on craftsmanship and emotional storytelling, using social media platforms like Facebook to engage directly with customers.
Sakhile’s approach shows that growth doesn’t require abandoning your values, it comes from scaling what already works. Every watch sold is a reminder that precision, creativity, and purpose can coexist in business.
He also continues to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs through his journey, showing that building a brand is about persistence, not perfection. His story proves that resilience and resourcefulness can turn any idea, even one born from disappointment, into a timeless success.
A Legacy Built on Time and Trust
Sakhile’s watches are more than fashion statements; they represent a promise, that time spent chasing your dream is never wasted. His journey from a failed bursary to a thriving business stands as proof that entrepreneurship is not just about making money, but about making meaning.
