Page 27 - Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women 2021

As long as we are having a fun lifestyle with lots of memories

and being happy as a family, that’s all we really want.

Founder of Funky Pants The Funky Pants brand has since grown into catering Constantly growing

for other sporting disciplines. These include cycling, The Harker’s have a library of designs and colours that
racy Harker is Funky Pants. Tracy grew up running, trail running, gym, and yoga. The brand clients can select from for their pants choice, which is
in Johannesburg; once she finished school, has also expanded into manufacturing swimming constantly growing and is possibly the largest selection
she did some travelling and ended up in costumes. in the whole world. Personalised designs for all types of
TDurban where she met her husband, Billy. clubs, schools, and teams are available. In addition, Funky
Have your own paths
Pants are sold internationally. The company has twenty-
Tracy says that Funky Pants was not a planned venture,
Being in business with her husband has been a five agents throughout the world and manufactures kits
but that she was inspired by her husband to start the
challenge that Tracy has had to overcome. “We went for international teams and clubs as well. Funky Pants
business. “When we first started making pants, they
through a whole process in the beginning especially. We is locally based; the fabric is printed, and the pants are
were only for paddlers, and we use to get someone to
had to figure out a way to work together. You’re in each manufactured, in Durban.
make them. They were awful, they were like grandpa
other’s space all day. You eat together, sleep together,
pants – long, baggy, and hanging. So, I started adjusting Funky Pants does like to get involved in different fund
play together, you do everything together, so you need
the pattern and made them so that when Billy and raisers and where they can, the Harker’s strive to make
to have your own paths. Billy does his job and I do my
myself wore the pants, we were comfortable while a difference. They started by getting involved with the
job and we don’t interfere with each other and as long
wearing them. We both have got different bodies and SPCA in Durban and then progressed to the East
as it stays like that, then it’s a happy place. He’s got his
we want the best and that’s what we worked on until London SPCA. “We basically make up a print, or they
good qualities, which we need and my qualities, which make up a print, and then we manufacture the Funky
we were happy. We were wearing them, and we were
trying them out and we were adjusting them to what we we also need; that’s how we run the business.” Pants. We give SPCA R50 for every pair that we sell
wanted – fully lined mid-thigh length, paddling tights. and it’s just a continuous thing, We like to support
In addition, says Tracy, “I have always been sporty
So, it’s our comfort, it’s our product that we want to them. Funky Pants have also been involved with The
and I’m very capable at doing anything, I think.
wear at races,” explained Tracy. The pants turned into Sabrina Love Fund for a few years now and they’ve
My husband and I are always challenging each other,
Tracy’s funky pants, which turned into Funky Pants. sold many shorts and received money, which is helping
and I do have to say that I am beating him at a lot
them,” says Tracy.
First in the world of things…”
Being happy
Tracy and Billy used to organise surf ski paddling races In order to get the business started, Tracy and
and gave away ‘Funky Pants’ as prizes to the paddlers. Billy needed to do the long haul and went to every The future goal for Funky Pants is just to sell more Funky
Pants. “As long as we are having a fun lifestyle with lots
They were soon asked to bring the ‘Funky Pants’ to sporting event they could. “We’ve sat there, we’ve
of memories and being happy as a family, that’s all we
events. The first time the Harkers took them to an event, done everything ourselves,” said Tracy. “Billy and I are
really want. We don’t want to turn Funky Pants into a
they were supposed to take twenty pairs, however they a ‘mom and pop’ business operating from our garage
huge empire. What drives me is the kind of things that
took two hundred pairs, which much to Tracy’s shock, in Durban North. If anyone comes to us with any
I enjoy in life and that’s what keeps me going. We’ve got
were all sold out at the first registration party. problem, we will do our best to sort it out. We will
four children, Henry is twelve, Eddie and Lucy are twins,
handle it personally and I don’t think that you can get
“That’s the first time we realised that this is the direction they are nine, and we’ve got the little monster, Charlie,
that service at most places. My dad helps us, and we’ve
in which we should go. In 2004, when we started he is seven. They all do many types of sports. Obviously, I
only recently increased our staff complement and got
bringing out the Funky Pants in bright colours, we just am the mom, so to me they are my brilliant little replicas,
some lovely girls to work with us. We’re a little family,
happened to be one of the first in the world to come and they’ve all achieved so much. The kids have been a
to the table with the bright funky, ridiculously comfy but we’ve always being hands-on, and it really does big part of Funky Pants, they are our little mascots, and
make a difference.”
funky pants,” says Tracy. they wear Funky Pants non-stop!”

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