I Blank SA is a proudly South African t-shirt company with a difference – for every tee you buy, 25% goes to the charity of your choice. Using fashion to raise awareness and money around worthy causes and coming in a variety of styles, these t-shirts make the perfect eco gift for Christmas!
‘It all started when I wanted to help raise money for a friend of mine who wanted to build local skate parks all over South Africa,’ explains Adam Casey, the director of ‘I Blank SA’.
But Adam’s passion is not just limited to skateboarding – he feels strongly about South Africa’s many subcultures, be it surfers, bikers, beer and coffee drinkers, musicians or photographers. The t-shirts are all made from Cape Town company Fittees, as Adam feels that importing from places like China does our economy a disservice.
‘I greatly believe in this country and want to promote patriotism,’ says Adam. ‘’I Blank SA’ represents people’s individual passions as well as a love for South Africa.’
Working with two volunteers, Paula and George, Adam’s t-shirts now contribute to many great local initiatives such as bicycle lanes, shark spotting and donating musical instruments. They even aid in the building of rural coffees stalls and teaching street children the art of photography.
He believes that by simply wearing a t‐shirt a person can help spread a powerful message; and with a clientele of between 20 and 30 years old, it is clear that ‘caring’ is becoming the new cool. As they keep their website and Facebook page are updated regularly on the specific causes, you can follow your impacts way after purchase. And being able to choose the organisation your purchase supports – wearing it in the form of funky icons – makes the experience that much more personal.
Working on a non‐profit business model, ‘I Blank SA’ is more about the passion than the profit. They have set an ambitious goal of raising five hundred thousand rand for charity organizations through the selling of ten thousand Shirts by end of year, but as Adam says; ‘You have to dream big to accomplish anything.’
You can purchase ‘I Blank SA’ t-shirts from outlets like Hello Again and Deluxe Coffeeworks, or click here to check out their online store. Keep an eye out for their limited edition Christmas t-shirts, coming soon!
A breakdown of the different t-shirts and the causes they support;
‘I Sk8 SA’ – supports Woodies Ramps to help build local skate parks
‘I Surf SA’– supports to keep surfers safe along the coast
‘I Bike SA’ – helps raise money for cycle lanes in South African cities
‘I Rock SA’ – helps donate musical instruments
‘I Photo SA’ – helps street children learn photography and sell their photos
‘I LoveCoffee SA’ – helps build rural coffee stalls to empower rural South Africans
‘I LoveBeer SA’ – helps raise funds for victims hit by drunk drivers
‘I Mo SA’ – helps the Movember organization raise money for the Cancer Association of South Africa
