Clear Vision, Bold Innovation: The Rise of Mafastela and Founder Leandra B Manjate
Clear Vision, Bold Innovation: The Rise of Mafastela and Founder Leandra B Manjate. From the age of six, Leandra B Manjate struggled to find stylish reading glasses. As a teenager she felt self‑conscious wearing thick lenses. In 2020, during a national lockdown, she broke her glasses and was quoted R5000 for a new pair she did not even like. Frustrated, she asked herself: what if I design glasses people are proud to wear? That question set a new vision.
Rapid Research, Online Launch
Leandra immersed herself in lockdown learning, researching manufacturers and teaching herself web design. She named her brand Mafastela, inspired by a childhood memory of the excitement and teasing around spectacles. Despite the challenges of lockdown, she launched her e‑commerce site later that year.
Key to her strategy was building trust: she chose PayFast as her payment gateway because of its multiple secure payment options and fraud protection.
Lesson: When trust is essential, like in eyewear or e‑commerce, invest in reliable systems first.
Packaging Upgrade Through Smart Funding
As sales grew, Leandra received customer complaints about fragile packaging. In 2021 she found a supplier with strong, well‑designed eyeglass cases but could not afford large minimum orders. Then PayFast offered Easy Advance funding, based on her monthly turnover. Within 24 hours she had the capital, raised her packaging standards and eliminated damage‑related returns.
Lesson: Don’t wait for external investors, use revenue‑based advances to solve immediate operational bottlenecks.
Expanding Collections and Global Reach
With better packaging in place, Mafastela added anti‑blue light frames, prescription glasses, sunglasses and accessories. Leandra also stocked her products in four optometrists in South Africa and reached customers in Mozambique, Europe and North America.
Lesson: Once your core system is solid, product and geographic expansion becomes sustainable.
Table of Key Milestones
| Milestone | Impact & Entrepreneurial Insight |
|---|---|
| 2020 – Mafastela launched by Leandra | Started with one genuine problem and created a unique brand vision |
| 2021 – PayFast integration | Built trust through secure and flexible online payments |
| 2021 – Packaging upgrade via funding | Turned operational challenge into a growth lever using immediate working capital |
| Early 2022 – Product diversification | Broadened product range while retaining brand identity |
| 2023 – In‑store optometrist stockists | Built offline reach into optometry clinics, reinforcing credibility |
| 2024 – International customers | Proved e‑commerce model scale and cross-border appeal |
| 2025 – Fifth anniversary celebration | Reached a strong milestone, further raising brand visibility |
Lessons Aspiring Entrepreneurs Can Apply
- Solve your own problems: Authenticity resonates and creates real solutions.
- Lean into learning: Build your tech chops early, websites, ecommerce, digital marketing.
- Pick systems that breed trust: Prioritize payment and fulfilment reliability.
- Use revenue to reinvest: Consider alternative funding models before equity dilution.
- Grow intentionally: Test new products and channels after core systems are stable.
- Mix online and offline: Blended distribution strengthens brand reach and image.
- Celebrate milestones: Let anniversaries and wins become marketing opportunities.
The Road Ahead
Mafastela is now a trendsetting online brand offering stylish and quality eyewear with seamless customer experience. But Leandra is not stopping there. Her aim is to partner with major franchise optometrists and further anchor African design in the global eyewear market.
Final Word
Leandra Manjate’s journey from awkward child in thick lenses to international eyewear founder underscores the power of combining personal insight, operational agility and brand authenticity. Mafastela’s success, built on secure systems, smart funding, and product evolution, gives aspiring entrepreneurs a clear blueprint: start from your own world, solve need with trust, reinvest profit back into quality, and scale with intention.
