"FNB, I Am Your Friend": SA Sneaker Entrepreneur Pitches FNB a Deal and Mzansi Backs the Move

• South African entrepreneur Banele Rewo challenged FNB to collaborate with his youth-owned sneaker brand, Squad, in a viral Instagram video
• Banele's pitch came after a SA publicly criticised FNB's new sneakers, which he saw as an opening for his SA-made brand
• Squad's stockvel banking arrangement with FNB gave his proposal an unexpected twist that caught the internet's attention

A South African entrepreneur turned Mzansi's complaint into a business pitch that has the internet talking. Banele, the founder behind youth sneaker brand Squad, posted a video on Instagram on 22 July 2026 calling on FNB to give his company a shot at designing the bank's next pair of sneakers.

The pitch was sparked by another post criticising FNB's latest sneaker release. Rather than joining the pile-on, Banele saw a gap and stepped into it with confidence. He began his pitch saying:

"FNB, I am your friend."

Squad: Youth-Made, South African-Born

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In the video, Banele explained that Squad is a youth-owned business that uses a stockvel model to pool resources and create jobs for young South Africans. The brand manufactures its shoes locally, and Banele was quick to point out that Squad's stockvel even banks with FNB, making the proposed partnership a natural fit.

He had actually been at Bank City with FNB on the same day the video was filmed, where the brand was given exhibition space and made sales. That detail gave his pitch real weight.

Banele set one condition for the deal: 10,000 likes on the post. Hit that number, he said, and FNB should call Squad in to co-design a sneaker its customers and staff would genuinely love. As of time of publication, the video had received over 17, 000 likes.

View the Instagram video below:

Mzansi Gets Behind the Pitch

South Africans rallied hard in the comments section of @banelerewo post:

@gugumfuphi wrote:

"🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 Oh Banele, I like your approach 👌🏾"

@katleho_mh said:

"Inspirational. Keep going Sir, we see what you're building 🔥🔥🔥🔥, once you get the sneakers, may I be one of your models?"

@bonnievilakazi added:

"Love how you turned what society laughed at to an opportunity to raise awareness on what the youth is capable of 👏🏿🔥"

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@unclefifofficial called it:

"One heck of a proposal 👏🏾👏🏾"

@zuma_sbu appealed directly:

"@fnbsa Let's make this happen!!!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🔥🔥🔥🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦"

@simz_pwee added:

"@fnbsa Do the right thing 😍"

More Briefly News Stories on Sneakers

• A South African man shared his inspiring journey from leaving his job and facing years of setbacks to becoming a sneaker designer for Bathu and launching his own fashion brand.
• A Port Elizabeth mother went viral after revealing a warehouse selling Woolworths-branded boys’ sneakers at huge discounts, with shoppers across South Africa eager to find the bargain store.
• A Johannesburg fashion influencer went viral after sharing her Gucci shopping spree, where she asked followers to help choose between designer handbags that matched her sneakers.

Source: Briefly News