Chifulemba Annie

I am Annie Chifulemba, a Malawian woman leather designer building dignity from the ground up, who creates as the -Timba bird lives. My project, “Timba Steps”, is an elegant ascent and evolution of purpose — tracing a boy’s journey from Chirengedwe School Shoes into the modern world, now walking in decent, stylish leather. I design as the -Timba bird- of Malawi lives: resilient in harsh conditions and never grounded by circumstance, resourceful in building from what others discard, adaptable from village to city, and always rising with intent, with those same characters. Chirengedwe was my nest of possibility: dignified school shoes that gave children their first step. Timba Steps is the deliberate flight that follows. At the foundation of every pair is dignity in rubber soles, hand-carved vulcanized soles from reclaimed rubber, engineered not just for durability, but for pride. They refuse to wear down, carrying the wearer from dusty classrooms to city pavements — from survival to aspiration. My uppers embody resourcefulness: re-skived real leather from old jackets, real leather offcuts, now cut and finished with modern elegance. Bamboo shanks and recycled-beer filter insoles remain hidden within, because true elevation honors its roots. Areas of Specialism: Narrative leather design inspired by nature, upcycled luxury finishing, sustainable footwear engineering with rubber soles, circular craft systems. For the Africa Real Leather Design Showcase 2026, *Timba Steps* proves African real leather design is not just sustainable. It is transformational. I transform the discarded into the distinguished, giving the child from Chirengedwe shoes worthy of the man he becomes.