The Letsoba Journey
Hello and welcome to Letsoba Boutique.
My name is Lauren van Wijk and I am the owner of Letsoba Boutique. Born and raised in South Africa and currently living in Rotterdam Netherlands.
What does the name Letsoba mean?
Letsoba is the Sepedi word for flower. Sepedi is a Bantu language spoken in South Africa by the Bapedi people. Sepedi or Northern Sotho is spoken by 4 million people and it is 1 of 11 official languages in South Africa. Why flower? Definition of the word flower is the seed bearing part of a plant. For the brand Letsoba we are the flower that will bear the seeds to grow into a wild garden here in Europe.
The Origins.
The idea of Letsoba Boutique started in 2017 while I was living in the Netherlands. In my time here I realized that African jewelry was not easily accessible and the African jewelry that was available was out dated and not of high quality. This is how Letsoba Boutique was born the idea is to provide handmade, authentic high quality jewelry from South Africa and other parts of Africa to your door step.
In 2019 we moved to Florida USA and the idea of Letsoba Boutique moved with us. The idea of providing handmade, authentic high quality jewelry is the foundation of our brand. Changing location didn't affect our foundation or its origins. The Afrocentric movement in America made it easier for me to target what types of jewelry people outside of Africa were attracted too. African jewelry has been trending in the USA for a long time with movies like the Black Panther solidifying this trend. Letsoba Boutique is here to provide a bridge into the jewelry trends from Africa making it accessible to you at your door step. During our time in the USA Letsoba grew from a seed into my first business that launched in 2020. Fast forward to 2025 Letsoba Boutique is in the Netherlands with the same foundation and origin to provide handmade, authentic high quality African jewerly to your european door step.
Our vendors and our range.
Letsoba Boutique gets its African jewelry from woman in Zulu, Sepedi, Ndebele and Masai communities. Their craftsmanship is unmatched. Our vendors are sustainable and practice fair trend. These woman are pillars in their communities using their creative hands to provide for their families. All our jewelry items are colorful, bold and handmade then cleaned and packaged for delivery to the Netherlands.
Our mission:
To provide handmade African jewelry that is authentic, fashion forward and high quality to your doorstep.
Letsoba Boutique is excited for you to start shopping!
Kisses, Lauren van Wijk
