We are pleased to announce that Fortuna Investments have entered into a 80% equity shareholding agreement with Olympic International Footwear and Apparel (Pty) Ltd, the licensee of the Olympic footwear brand.

•    Iconic South African sportswear brand
•    Longstanding heritage – trademark registered in 1918
•    Successful relaunch into the value segment of the market
•    Opportunities through scale, accessibility and early-stage market entry with significant runway

About the deal
Olympic was trademarked in 1918, registered in South Africa as a sports footwear brand in 1972 and acquired by Bolton Footwear in 2015, South Africa’s leading footwear manufacturer. Olympic International holds the exclusive rights to design, source, market and distribute sports footwear, apparel and accessories under the Olympic brand in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswathini (BLNS) and South Africa. 

Why Olympic 
Locally, customers have been enduring significant price inflation on internationally branded sportswear. Olympic is earmarked to fill a growing and under-serviced gap in the market offering a product that has:
•    an iconic, recognised and strong brand,
•    internationally recognised performance-improving attributes,
•    a range of lower, more affordable price points, and 
•    national distribution through multiple retailers.

Under the leadership of sports enthusiast and industry expert Gary van Rooyen, the brand will specifically target certain technical sport disciplines where it believes a local brand can fill a much-needed price gap without sacrificing quality. Christo Claassen and Kevin Hodgson will also join the Olympic International Board as Fortuna Investments representatives. 

Further opportunities
•    Clear positioning and differentiated aesthetics;
•    Significant runway to expand styles and national retail network;
•    Opportunity to expand on the continent beyond BLNS;
•    Entry into a robust market characterised by sustained demand; and 
•    Sponsorship through extensive sporting events.