15 Dec 2014

From a young age, Ms Lilly Mphafe has always known that she has a thing for artistry.

She would watch and admire her grandmother and mother knitting to create anything out of wool or thread. As she envied the practise, little did she know that the same skill and passion was being unequivocally passed through the blood linage to her.

Unlike them, Lilly is today making over-the-top handcrafted jewellery and selling it at affordable prices to women at any income level.

This modest mission began with a noble notion of capturing the attention of young fashion fanatics, in so doing making ends meet. “When I started I only had P100,” said  Ms Mphafe who now masters crafting necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.

With her parents’ home being an office and workshop,  Ms Mphafe is content that she is indeed on her way to becoming an entrepreneur. Thus the youthful dream of becoming a successful business owner one day is gradually taking shape. Born and bred in Ramotswa, the 28 year old is already dreaming of owning a small jewellery boutique someday.

In fact, this will be a great boost to her dream as she had to endure pain and tribulation to start the business until she opted not to spend her energy on people who are not in synergy with her vision. “Not even my family believed in this,” said the single mother of two.

With perseverance, she soldiered on as it was the only available source of income ever since she graduated from Kagiso Senior Secondary School. On her post senior school path, she enrolled for a certificate in accounting and bookkeeping only to be told that the course was unaccredited.

Defeated and dejected,Ms Mphafe’s world seemed to crumble.  “From there I stayed home,” she said. One day, a friend introduced her to the world of jewelry and after the conversation, she sourced own funds to start the business of making jewellery.

What followed then was a rigorous marketing strategy of knocking from office to office to market the products. “I spent most of my days travelling to Gaborone, so I thought it was best for me to start selling in offices there,” she added.

The trips led her to the then Department of Women Affairs, now Department of Gender Affairs and subsequently opened more doors for her. In no time, she attended the Women’s Expo as well as Consumer Affairs where her crafts charmed multitudes.

Although the expositions spurred the business, she realised that accessories such as jewelleries are seasonal. “The problem with jewellery is that it is seasonal. When its winter people want to have something that will make them warm,” she added.

As a result, she started knitting fashionable accessories such as socks, scarfs and bags during winter. She further realised that selling jewellery in Ramotswa offices could also save her some funds.

Beside knitting and hopping from street to street, the mother of two often cooks for Ipelegeng workers to augment earnings from accessories. To further boost the jewellery business, she has applied for the Youth Development Fund (YDF) for a more sophisticated business setup.

“I used to supply various boutiques and street vendors but the problem is that they fail to market the products,” and added that the time is ripe for her to own a boutique.

The youthful dreamier believes the business has capabilities to conquer the hearts of many only if well established. Balete Paramount Kgosi Mosadi Seboko among those who have donned her jewellery. ENDS