12 Feb 2018

It is often said that education is the key to success but for some it has never meant anything other than just being a phrase as they rose above expectations and defied the odds.

Kaone Mantswe of Mochudi is among those that defied the odds by birthing Barona Jewellery from no qualifications but through experience he gained from a jewellery store which opened doors for him.

It was when he was still a shop assistant that he realised he could also be a manufacturer that he did not only focus on just selling jewellery but also helped jewellers when he had nothing to do in the store.

He attributes his success to hard work as he never underestimated his potential by feeling sorry for himself but rather faced his problem by working hard to achieve his dream of working for himself.

He said he quit his job in 2008 with nothing but his salary and started off renting a chair in jewellery shops once he found a client to assist.

He said it was then that he realised the journey to his success was not going to be easy as he had nothing of his own but faith kept him on his toes to strive for a better way to market his product.

The struggle had just begun for the 32 year old as the only clientele he had was from his former job but continued advertising his brand by going around and getting clients and also through his other customers who referred people to him.

It was in 2016 when he decided to apply for the Youth Development Fund and to his surprise his proposal got approved and that is how he birthed Barona Jewellery and opened his doors to the public.

He said government sponsored him with close to P91 000 for the project which he used to buy equipment for his business which is expensive and found a place to rent as he operated from other people’s offices.

Mr Mantswe said it was tough when he opened his store as he received one to no client a day which could lead to closure of the business but he persevered by faith knowing that nothing worth came easy.

He said all he needed at the time was making sure that he could pay his store bills to keep the door open for the customers which he achieved as he is now stable and would like to open other stores in the future.

Though faced with challenges such as customers taking much time to pay for their jewellery and getting clientele by seasons, Mr Mantswe said he covered the loss by making more money during wedding season as the business is at its peak and hence profitable.

He said he also attends business expos, weddings and other events to market his product which has benefitted him in more ways than one as he is now a brand to be reckoned with.

He urged other youths to follow their dreams and make sure they come to life and also understand that it takes much more than just a dream to make it a reality but rather put into action all that is needed to achieve it.

He encouraged unemployed youths to take advantage of the government schemes and stop feeling sorry for themselves while doing nothing that helps them out of their situations. Ends