RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - More than two decades after Vanya and Thando Mangaliso started selling clothing from their car, luxury fashion brand Sun Goddess has risen to meet the whims of guests at Sun City Resort’s The Palace of the Lost City.
Sun Goddess, which translates South African traditional stories and imagery into fashion, first partnered with the Sun City Resort in 2022 when they began designing uniforms, steeped in the North West’s Tswana culture and heritage, for staff at The Palace.
The collaboration has flourished, with the leading hospitality company’s support for the small business growing. In November last year, Sun Goddess’ Johannesburg based operations expanded when they opened a boutique store at the five-star The Palace hotel, catering to foreign guests, conference and local holiday travellers. Further jobs are created in the province thanks to a uniform room for staff which operates at the hotel, also making uniforms for staff at the Cabana’s Hotel and the transport department.
“We have grown our staff complement by 30% thanks to Sun International and particularly Sun City General Manager Brett Hoppé’s, whose vision brought us on board,” said Sun Goddess Creative Director Vanya. “After the pandemic when retail changed drastically, they gave us new opportunities and we were able to pivot into corporate uniforms which we had not previously done at such a large scale. It opened up avenues and challenged us to think differently. As a result, our systems have improved and we have scaled up and grown.” As Sun Goddess stepped up their business, they have boosted those in related industries. “We have started working with cut, make and trim manufacturers, embroidery and screen-printing companies to enable us to deliver on Sun City’s requests, which has opened up opportunities for others along the value chain,” Vanya said.
As the fashion brand prepared to showcase 15 looks as part of its Sun Goddess Langakazi Collection for Summer 2025, which debuted at the South Africa Fashion Week, the design team is also tailoring the range to suit The Palace shoppers, with a strong resort wear dimension. Accessories such as hats, beach wraps, sunglasses, and bags are popular.
