The Fashion Designer Who Built a Digital Boutique for R99/Month
Zanele Ndlovu designs African-inspired fashion that celebrates South African women. Her custom dresses and boutique pieces should be everywhere. Instead, they were hidden in Instagram DMs.
"I'd post a dress, get 200 likes, then spend three days responding to 'How much?' and 'Do you have in size X?' in my DMs. By the time I responded, they'd bought from somewhere else."
Zanele dreamed of an online store, but quotes for e-commerce websites started at R15,000 setup plus R1,200/month hosting. For a growing Durban boutique, that was rent money.
"I needed something between Instagram and a full Shopify store. Something I could afford while still looking professional."
Cazual BUSINESS became her digital boutique for a fraction of the cost.
cazual.co.za/stylebyzanele now showcases:
- Her Instagram portfolio (@style_by_zanele_demo)
- TikTok fashion try-on videos for styling inspiration
- Downloadable catalog PDF with all designs and sizing
- Custom dress orders at R299 via PayFast
- Cross-promotion with Art by Sipho for cultural collaboration
"Within three weeks, I had 47 paid orders through Cazual. That's R13,953 in revenue from a R99/month platform. Show me another tool with that ROI."
The layout options let Zanele choose a creative, visual-first design that matches her brand aesthetic. The mobile experience is seamless — critical since 90% of her customers shop on their phones.
Her favorite feature? The Cazual network cross-promotion.
"I link to Art by Sipho because art and fashion go together. He links back to me. Local artists supporting local artists — that's how we grow together."
Zanele's now planning to expand to three new fashion lines in 2025, all managed through her single Cazual page.
"Cazual gave me a digital storefront without the digital price tag. My customers love how easy it is to browse and buy. I love not living in my DMs anymore."