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Momppy Mpoppy is a black and trendy doll that South African girls are falling in love with. A lot of other black dolls exist, but the market is often dominated by white dolls. Momppy Mpoppy is very different from other dolls in the market.
A Modern Ethnic Woman
Maite Makgoba, the 26 year old founder of Childish Trading and Manufacturing, noticed that black dolls were unappealing to children. “They were frumpy and unattractive, some in traditional attire. That is not the reality of today,” she said. So she made sure Momppy Mpoppy was dressed in the latest trends, instead of the traditional ethnic clothes used on many other black dolls. According to the creators, she is the first ethnic doll to be modern and stylish.
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A Diverse Sense of Style
Some of Momppy Mpoppy’s clothes include ballerina skirts, denim pants, jumpsuits, and bright high heels. Along with her stylish wardrobe, the doll sports an impressive afro and a tiara. The company also creates matching clothes for young girls to wear.
Changing the Way Black Children See Themselves
For Makgoba, this is about more than entertainment; dolls are a big part of a girl’s early life and can possibly affect them in the future. She hopes that the doll could positively influence young girl’s lives.
More Than A Business
“This is more than just a business, we are creating awareness, that our dark skin and thick afro hair are pretty as they are,” she said. “We want kids to see beauty in Mpoppy, to see themselves while playing with her. Dolls are often white, people in magazines are white, even in a country like South Africa where the majority are black. Black children are confronted with growing up in a world that does not represent them, everything is skewed towards whiteness.” She adds that the doll could help combat body image insecurity.
A Small Company On The Rise
The company started operating in 2013. It is facing strong competition from more established toy brands, but the customers are responding positively to their value proposition. Makgoba did not release the sales numbers, but she said that “Parents and children have quickly taken to the doll. But we still need to convince large retailers to sell our brand.” They are planning to expand and export the Mpoppy doll to neighbouring African countries, changing young mindsets one doll at a time.
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