13 Jul 2020

Tlhomamo toilet paper production in Good Hope is a success story having surpassed its target since the outbreak of COVID -19. 

Speaking in an interview on July 10, Ms Peggy Marumo, a treasurer at Tlhomamo, said the company experienced an increase in orders since the lockdown, which led them to increase in their production. 

Ms Marumo said in a day they manufactured about 768 toilet papers and  that their pack included 48, 30, 15 and six toilet papers.

She said their toilet paper  quality was softer, had more cleaning power and was two ply. She also said it was half the price of others purchased in retail stores.

“Our toilet paper is in demand and we even work during weekends,” she said.

Having started in 2017 by 13 women, Ms Marumo said the poverty eradication project depended on government departments in Good Hope and the southern region as well as individuals who had always supported their business. 

“Some clients even encourage us and have stopped buying toilet paper from other dealers, indicating that ours provide the best balance of softness and lint doesn’t come out of it,” she said.

Just like other businesses, she said sometimes production was delayed because machines needed to be serviced and also unavailability of raw materials. 

She said they were in the process of branding their products and said it would help them to increase their business supply.

Ms Marumo also thanked government for initiating the project, saying it gave them back their dignity because they were able to provide for their families.

 Ms Marumo also applauded the office of the district commissioner for coordinating their project. She said ever since they started the project, poverty eradication assistants have helped them by ensuring that production did not stop.

To grow their business, Ms Marumo said their plan was to move from the government warehouse, saying they had applied for an industrial plot at the land board. 

She also said she hoped their company would employ many people in five years to come.

She said COVID-19 had given the company an  opportunity “to think outside the box” and work hard  to supply Batswana with  toilet paper.

 “With the current COVID-19 restrictions we are already feeling the pinch, and as Tlhomamo, we are determined to help grow the country’s economy and we hope one day importing toilet paper from outside the country will be a thing of the past,” she said. Ends