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- Mmule Ramothibe started Nandikwa Dolls after she struggled to find a doll that looked like her daughter, Nandipha.
- The business is all about embracing diversity, representation, pride and a love for culture and identity.
- There are many challenges in the manufacturing of dolls with body shapes of African women.
U.S. toymaker Mattel faced damning criticism for not including a Barbie doll of East Asian ethnicity in its collection commemorating the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Mattel was fingered as having dismissed Asian culture in its creation of five dolls unveiled. Such conversations reflect the importance of representation, inclusivity, and embracing identity in the context of any society or country.
That is why dolls draped in South African cultural attires are a sight to behold. They echo sentiments of breaking societal stereotypes passed on from generation to generation.
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Founder of Nandikwa Dolls, Mmule Ramathibe, tells W24 about creating dolls that look more like her daughter Nandipha.
"My daughter was six the time, and she is 14 now. She wanted a Barbie doll. I told her I would buy her a doll but that it would not be a Barbie. We hopped from one shop to another, looking for a doll that looked like her."
Mmule Ramothibe's wish is to see Nandikwa Dolls easily accessible. Image supplied by Mmule.
"It was so upsetting. The few that were on shelves termed 'African dolls' did not depict African beauty. You could tell that the manufacturers didn't pay attention to who we are. They just painted the doll black. For me, it was distasteful," Mmule says.
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Nandikwa Dolls started with one doll. It's now years on, and there are nine dolls in the collection. "This makes the journey worth it," Mmule says.
Transformation does not happen overnight. As a start-up, Mmule has faced challenges that almost made her quit along the way. Particularly financial obstacles to bring to life some of her ideas, like a doll made in a way that reflects the body shapes of African women.
Nine Nandikwa Dolls that represent different cultural attires. Image supplied by Mmule.
"Heritage means different things to different people. To some people heritage is about the roots, their culture. To some, it is a lifestyle, family values, or upbringing.
"We want to play our part with the young ones, help them understand the fibre of South Africa as a brand and its diversity. Our children are short-changed when it comes to heritage because they live in cities and commercialised environments," she explains.
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"The mind of a human being is like fertile soil. So, we want to expose the little ones to the whole story. When only long silky hair, light skin dolls are exposed, children tend to depict that image as a sign of beauty. Where are dolls with dreads, braided hair, and coils? When we expose them to the other side, they go, 'hey, she looks like me. I am beautiful as well.'
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"We are not about the looks per se, but we are about the message we stand for. We stand for self-love, dignity, pride, resilience, and grit. Against all odds, your circumstances don't have to determine why you become. You are beautiful just the way you were created. You are beautiful and you are enough just as you are," Mmule says.
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