07 Oct 2020

What started as a hobby to pass time turned out to be an income stream for Mpho Motsamai.

Ms Motsamai of Phitsane currently residing in Mogoditshane recycles and makes things anew. She specialises in accessories made form African print material.

 Ms Motsamai of Posty’s Crafts, as her business is known on social media, said there was nothing she threw away for being won out. Instead she collects won out things from outside to her house.

In an interview with BOPA recently, Ms Motsamai said crafting was in her system.

She said her skills started when playing mantlwane as a young girl, as she would knit and make the best doll and/or have a better house among her peers.

Ms Motsamai said when her company was liquidated, leaving her with nothing much to do, she decided to pass time rekindling her skills.

She said she had a collection of old material such as empty glass containers, milk tins, of which she had always thought she would make use of someday somehow.

She said she started making vase from mayonnaise containers by painting them and they sold like fat cakes.

“When I experienced a high demand from the neighbourhood, i never looked back” she stated.

Ms Motsamai indicated that her family had been the cheer leaders, adding that they encouraged her to continue making more vases, and would go to an extent of selling on her behalf while she was busy.

“Talk about doing something you love that makes you happier and at the same time boost cash flow” she said.

She indicated that in 2017 as she was getting a positive customer feedback, she started Posty’s Crafts.

Her craft includes refining and painting glasses for vase, moulding and making vase from cement, old newspapers, making handbags and shoes from scratch, renewing old shoes covering them with material according to customer wants, refining old clothes, making jewelry, greeting cards, wall decorations, painting and chair covering .

Ms Motsamai said she got her inspiration from internet as she watched various recycling projects from YouTube, adding that Batswana could use such platform to learn a skill or two.

She indicated that she never had any professional or formal knitting, sewing or painting training, but she does it perfectly ‘thanks to YouTube lessons’.

Ms Motsamai said Batswana had been supportive, saying she has since registered her business, with two employees, one an assistant and an accountant.

She nevertheless said 2020 was a challenging due to COVID -19, adding though she was making a comeback after lockdowns as most people were coming for shoes and clothes revamp.

She also said she had started expanding as she provided classes to those who wanted to learn skills so that they could earn a living through it.

Meanwhile Ms Motsamai decried powerful competition from foreigners, calling on government to help protect their talents.

She said it was disheartening that during shows, some foreigners took pictures of their products and in no time their concepts would be in their shops and the locals  lose business and/or are regarded expensive as foreigners sell cheaply. ends