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Open Monday – Saturday 9am – 7pm | Sundays & Public Holidays 9am – 5pm

Larpelo

Larpelo, is proudly owned by Mthiwehlanga John-Rose Mana, born in Kwa-Zakhele, Gqeberha (previously Port Elizabeth). This very humble and successful man has come from small beginnings, but his passion and determination have led John to great achievements!

John’s childhood was a challenging one and unfortunately resulted in him dropping him out of school, forcing him to learn how to be responsible from a very early age and work hard, to take care of himself and help out at home.

John went on to develop a passion for sales, and while he considers it a passion now, at the time, it was out of necessity, as he had to sell things in order to buy food. He would sell anything, from cockroach poison to car cell phone chargers at the robots in Kempston Road. But John had a vision, because he knew that he didn’t want to spend his entire life at the robots.

John was always the guy who had something new to sell and as a result, he became a supplier for the other guys who were selling with him and because he didn’t want to always sell the same old thing, he developed the love for sunglasses.

“What drew me to the sunglasses is the fact that they never go out of fashion and they make people feel good about themselves when they wear them”.

So, with that in mind, John invested his time and energy into getting different styles of sunglasses and selling them at the robots and this is where his dream of owning a chain of sunglass shops throughout South Africa was born. It was shortly after, that John got married and the pressures and responsibilities of providing for his family only amplified his desires!

John’s dreams finally became a reality when he purchased his first shop in 2019. Through the shop, he diligently broadened his customer base and together with his wife, they worked together to bring unique sunglasses, of great quality to their customers and fans.

When news of the new Boardwalk Mall started spreading, John immediately saw the opportunity to grow his business empire, and because the Mall would help bring upliftment to the economy of Gqeberha and would help small businesses (like his) develop, he didn’t want to miss out on the great opportunity happening in his hometown.

John’s strategy hasn’t changed, he’s still that same guy who is passionate about selling, service, quality and bringing something new and exciting all the time. That is why Larpelo collaborated with the likes of Mafa Bavuma, local radio presenter and the Legendary Cricket player, Makhaya Ntini to be the ambassadors of the Larpelo brand and together, they have add to the excitement of the brand.

John’s customers can always look forward to non-stop, trendy sunglasses and because they buy their glasses directly from the factory, it gives them the opportunity to modify them to fit their own trendy styles and customer preference.