What if you could buy clothes from a local brand like Glotto from anywhere in the world as easily as you can order a meal on Uber Eats? That is exactly the vision that Thabang Boy, founder of e-commerce platform Fusion Attire, has.
Driven by the need to make fashion accessible, Boy has embarked on a mission which has seen Fusion Attire gain significant traction, including a logistics partnership with FedEx and a spot on the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship Fellowship.
But as he put it, this is only the beginning. He envisions Fusion Attire totally upending the African fashion and e-commerce industries, ushering in a new era which will see a global appreciation for African fashion.
In this interview, he dives deep into the origins of Fusion Attire, what keeps him going and how potential investors can become part of the company's future.
What is Fusion Attire? What problem are you trying to solve?
Fusion Attire is a curated online fashion marketplace that connects authentic African brands to global shoppers. The problem we’re solving is that more than 70% of African designers still sell through informal channels like WhatsApp, DMs, or weekend markets.
That makes it hard for customers to discover them and impossible to scale. Conversely, international buyers want authentic African fashion but struggle with trust, logistics, and access. Fusion Attire solves that by being the one-stop platform that handles discovery, payments, and even logistics.
How did you come up with the idea?
I’ve always been fascinated by dropshipping. Around the time when I was doing Form 5, I was trying it before I even got to tertiary. Those early attempts failed, but they taught me a lot. Then it hit me, instead of reselling products from international markets, why not build a platform around Botswana products, better yet, African products? That’s how Fusion Attire was born. It’s the same dropshipping principles, but rooted in African creativity.
We have seen several e-commerce platforms come and go in Botswana. What would you say sets Fusion Attire apart?
Focus and structure. Many platforms try to be “everything stores,” but Fusion Attire is laser-focused on African fashion. We’re not trying to compete with online. We’re building the “Uber Eats of Fashion” for Africa.
The second is logistics. Most e-commerce startups stumble when it comes to delivery, but we built partnerships from day one with Sprint Couriers locally and FedEx internationally to make sure customers actually get what they order. That’s what keeps people coming back.
What is your traction so far? How do you plan to grow it?
So far, we’ve onboarded over 15 brands, including KASI, DKM Athleisure, Glotto, Gouf Apparel and Not Ok Drip. We’ve seen more than 3,000 site visits, with 60% of that traffic being international. We’ve already run two runway events where sales and testimonials boosted trust locally.
Going forward, growth will come from expanding our brand base across Southern Africa, ramping up marketing, and eventually rolling out a mobile app to capture an even wider audience.
Are you currently fundraising for the business? How is that process going?
Yes, we are. To this point, I’ve been bootstrapping Fusion Attire. Yes, all those traction figures, platform development, brand onboarding, payment & logistics integration were from me, and I even had to resort to selling some of my personal things, furniture and the like.
But now we’re opening up to investors who want to join the journey. We’re raising to scale marketing, building out the mobile app, and strengthening our team. The process is early, but there’s growing interest, especially from people who see the potential of African fashion on the global stage.
If yes, what can you say to an investor considering backing you?
I’d say this: Fusion Attire is not just a fashion business. It’s infrastructure for African creativity. We already have proof of demand, a working logistics backbone, and a growing list of designers. What we need is capital to accelerate growth.
Investors who come on board aren’t just funding a business. They are backing a movement to make African fashion as accessible as ordering dinner online. And the monetisation is clear: we take 25% per sale plus a hosting fee from brands.
Logistics is always one of the main challenges of e-commerce. How have partnerships with the likes of FedEx been helpful?
Without logistics, e-commerce doesn’t work; it’s that simple. By partnering with FedEx for international deliveries and Sprint Couriers locally, we’ve given both customers and designers peace of mind. Designers can focus on creating, while we handle getting their work to London, New York, or Berlin. It’s one of the biggest trust-builders for our platform.
You are also an Entrepreneurship Fellow at MIT. Share more on that.
Yes, I was selected as an Entrepreneurship Fellow with the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship, under their early-stage venture-building program here in Botswana. It’s a 12-week fellowship designed to help founders sharpen their models, validate ideas, and connect with mentors globally.
How has the Fellowship contributed to helping you build Fusion Attire?
It’s been game-changing. The program has helped me structure Fusion Attire more like a global startup than a small local hustle. I’ve learned how to refine our pitch, identify investor red flags, and position Fusion Attire for scalability. It’s also expanded my network. I now have access to global mentors who’ve built and scaled companies before.
What are your plans for Fusion Attire beyond Botswana?
Beyond Botswana, we want to onboard brands from across Southern Africa, including South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and eventually, the entire continent. Our customers are already international, so expanding the brand base to match that demand is the next natural step.
Where do you see the platform in the next 3–5 years?
In 3 to 5 years, Fusion Attire will be Africa’s go-to online fashion marketplace, with thousands of brands and a strong mobile app presence. I see us being the first place international buyers check when they want authentic African fashion, and I see our designers competing confidently on the global stage.
Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in Botswana?
Don’t get into entrepreneurship just because it looks flashy. It’s lonely, it’s gruelling, and it will test you. Do it because you truly want it. If it’s your vision, not someone else’s, then when the challenges come, you’ll still push through. And, “Never get caught lacking”
Anything else you would like to add?
I’d just like to say African fashion is more than just clothes; it’s culture, identity, and economy. Fusion Attire is proof that we can package that creativity and sell it to the world. To designers, I say let’s build together. To investors and partners, the door is open. And to customers, thank you for believing in the vision.