Rea Khoabane talks to Molemo Kgomo about her exciting black doll range What is the philosophy behind Ntombenhle dolls?In Zulu, Ntombenhle means beautiful girl. The idea was a result of not being able to find nice-looking black dolls for my daughter. Ntombenhle is a range with a particular focus on African culture. Each doll represents a different cultural group.What made you decide to design a black doll wearing traditional African clothes?I just decided to have them dressed traditionally to make the kids aware of different cultural outfits, butadults don't seem to know the attires either, so this is also educational for us.How long has the brand being around for?The brand has been around for 12 years but at first it was very slow. Since the relaunch last March it has been busy and now we are busy working on a wardrobe and accessories.How many dolls have you sold so far?I think so far just over 2000 dolls have been sold and sales are still going very strong.What culture is Molemo Kgomo?Molemo is a rainbow. My mother is Pedi and my father Swazi.Do you think Ntombenhle has changed the Barbie stereotype and, if so, how?I think Ntombenhle is her own and is still developing . We need to change the stereotypes about black dolls and get our kids to appreciate themselves, their skin colour and their culture. It is up to us as parents to do right by our kids. Barbie is in her own league and it would be unfair to compare Ntombenhle to Barbie! This is a journey and a long one at that, but we will get it done.Do the dolls have names?The dolls don't have names, but the kids are naming them. That's part of the fun of dolls.For more information or to order a Ntombenhle doll visit www.ntombenhledolls.co.za..