How Veldskoen Built International Demand for a Proudly South African Brand

Building a great product is only half the battle. The harder question, especially for South African brands trying to break into new markets, is how do you get customers who've never heard of you to actually want what you're selling?

At our latest TUNL Talks, Barbara, head of marketing and PR at Veldskoen sat down with us to unpack exactly that. As a proudly South African brand that's built genuine demand for its shoes well beyond our borders, without losing what makes it distinctly SA, she had plenty to share.

Key takeaways in this article:

• How to sequence your ad spend as you scale (Meta vs Google)

• Why your email list might be your most underrated growth channel

• How storytelling and heritage set your brand apart from the competition

• What it actually takes to keep international customers coming back

Start with Meta Ads, Grow Into Google Ads

When you're just getting started, you don't need a big budget to make noise. Veldskoen's advice: Meta Ads tend to deliver the best return on investment at the growth stage, especially when you're working with a smaller budget and still figuring out what resonates with new audiences.

Google Ads is a different game. It's competitive and requires a bigger budget, and it's really only worth chasing once you're at scale and need to stay visible at the top of search results for buyers who are already looking for you.

💡 Pro tip: Don't jump to Google Ads too early. Let Meta do the early legwork of building awareness before you compete for search real estate.

Your Email List Is Your Most Budget-Friendly Growth Channel

It's easy to overlook email in favour of flashier channels, but Veldskoen made the case that it's one of the most cost-effective ways to both win new customers and keep existing ones coming back.

Email works alongside social and other channels rather than instead of them. On average, it takes about 7 touch points before a customer converts, so an omni-channel approach, where email, social, and other channels each play a distinct role, matters more than betting everything on one.

💡 Pro tip: Keep your messaging simple and consistent. One theme at a time beats trying to say everything in a single email.

Customers Buy the Story, Not Just the Product

Perhaps the biggest differentiator Veldskoen pointed to wasn't a channel or a tactic, it was storytelling. In a market full of fast fashion, positioning your brand around heritage and identity gives customers a reason to choose you beyond price or convenience.

Veldskoen leans into its identity as the custodian of a South African icon. That story doesn't just build brand loyalty, it also fuels content: social posts, campaigns, and PR moments all become easier when you know exactly what your brand stands for.

Organic moments matter too. A single photo of a high-profile figure wearing Veldskoen drove a noticeable sales spike in the UK, and early backing from a well-known international partner helped open doors in the US. The common thread: authentic association beats a paid endorsement every time.

💡 Pro tip: Gifting product to genuine fans and high-achievers, with no strings attached, tends to build more credibility than a formal influencer deal.

Retention Is Cheaper Than Acquisition

It's a principle that gets repeated often for good reason: the cheapest customer to win is one you already have. Veldskoen's approach to keeping international customers loyal comes down to a few fundamentals, fast customer service response times (including on social media DMs), clear communication about shipping timelines, and proactive updates if something's delayed.

Customers are generally willing to wait longer for international or handmade goods, as long as expectations are set clearly upfront. It's the surprises, not the wait itself, that erode trust.

Final Thoughts

Generating international demand is a combination of smart, sequenced ad spend, an email channel, a brand story worth repeating, and the discipline to keep the customers you've already won.

If you're a South African business ready to start building demand beyond our borders, our team's here to help you get your international shipping set up so you're ready when that demand shows up.