24 Mar 2015

Knitting used to be a leisure activity but now people are transforming it into a fruitful business enterprise.

Two Khuis based women, Sebonyweemang Pule and Tuduetso Botsheleng, have twinned to take knitting to higher levels and turn their skills into cash spinning operations.

Interestingly they are not business partners, but after realizing that they were both in the same business with similar objectives, they came up with a plan that will make their products to sell. An agreement was sealed that they will not knit the same products so as to avoid competition and diversify the market.

Mrs Sebonyweemang Pule said she has been knitting since 1975 having learnt the skill from her late aunt. She noted that they were doing it just for fun but she never thought that it would turn into business as time went by. In 1998 she decided to turn it into business after becoming aware that people loved her products.

She started her business with her savings that she kept while she was still working. “Knitting demands, it requires creativity and the use of techniques so that you can be able to make products with unique appearance,” she noted.

She added that knitting products of high quality makes a great impact to her business as her clients were always happy with her products. She said at first she used to knit based on the customer’s preference but right now because of age she cannot handle products of different variety as she is specialising on knitting table mats, wall hangings and blankets.

Pule said she chose to use wool because it has a rich texture and products made with it last for a long time. The 65 year old said her business operates from her home, rent free and as such sustains her living. Her counterpart, Ms Tuduetso Botsheleng said her passion for knitting started at a younger age but she decided to turn it into business during her mid 30’s. She learnt all this from her mother. She knits cellphone pouches, pegs rugs, huts and bags of all types.

Her community encouraged her to start knitting because she was producing unique products and there were worth selling. She added that everyone has her or his way of making people to notice their business.

She used her own products as a way of taking her business to people as well as marketing it. She added that after realizing the products that she was knitting people began to show interest. She pointed out that ever since they united her business was going very well as her products sell like fat cakes due to a lot of orders coming in. She noted that appearence of product matters the most and the combination of colours makes it even better, it brings life to it.

“Knitting plays a bigger role in my life as I always do it, it refreshes my mind and if I had a rough day I just relax,” she added. Ms Botsheleng said she uses her profits to pay school fees for her children and put food on the table for her family.

She said that this year she is willing to take a step ahead to make people recognise her business nationally. They both said that the problem they face is the availability of materials especially the scarcity of wool. They usually buy material in Tsabong, failing which they have to cross to South Africa which move now hikes expenses.

They do not only knit as they both have other ways of earning a living through their other talents. When she is not knitting, Mrs Pule designs clothes for her customers.
Ms Botsheleng has her other means of living too as she is also in pottery business which is also doing well.

Ever since they unite their businesses has been doing wonders as there is no day that passes without a client placing an order. They added that they even have regular customers from South Africa as they cater for everyone.

They encourage people to unite when they realise that they are in the same business industry in the same place as this will help their business to progress well. This will also give them a reason to not always complain about their business not going well. They said that cooperation helps a business to go faster and grow bigger. ENDS