14 Apr 2016

Ms Tshenolo Mpharitlhe had to choose between her long held passion of fashion design to find success in an elusive business.In a short space of time, sportswear proved that her instincts were spot on.

“Sportswear is selling like fat cakes,” said the 32-year-old. That she managed to buy a vehicle for her business was prove enough that sportswear had become a game changer for her business.

Although individuals make the bulk of her customers, she ws slowly penetrating the corporate world. She has already supplied the Botswana Police College (BPS) with sportswear as well as some primary schools and pre-schools in Ramotswa.

Ms Mpharitlhe said Bot50 branded jerseys made her enterprise blossom. Ever since she got permission to inscribe the logo on her products, Ms Mpharitlhe sold up to 100 t-shirts in a month.

She said had she started with sportswear in 2013 when the Youth Development Fund (YDF) boosted her with funding to the tune of P100 000, she could be counted among the best sportswear designers by now.

In fact, when she submitted her business proposal for funding under YDF, she had indicated that she would do sportswear but things changed when her elder sister required outfits for her wedding.

“The feedback I got from the wedding was so positive and tempting,” said the single mother. She traced support for her business to the poverty eradication programme, which gave her two sewing machines in 2007.

At the time, Ms Mpharitlhe was only relying on the training she got from Ramatea Vocational Training School after failing to progress to senior secondary school. She then enrolled at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology to read for a Diploma in Fashion and Apparel Design.

“By the time I was preparing to read for my degree, YDF approved my business proposal for funding,” she said. She employed three people in addition to temporary staff that she called on business peak periods.

To position herself, Ms Mpharitlhe inscribed FORM on her designs and therefore warned fellow competitors to look out for the new clothing brand. ENDS