The 68-year-old Mmathethe native is fully driven by the zeal to eke out a living in the mining town of Jwaneng.

While others banked on academic qualifications to unlock future opportunities, the pensioner pursued a simple dream to transform his life, having never seen the inside of a classroom. Coming from a generation mostly subjected to cattle herding as the primary role for young men in rural areas, he set out in 1993 to look for any menial job within the vibrant mining township, a huge contrast to his routine as a herdsman. 

As expected, hunger dictated his start in a place where everyone constantly rushed to find their next meal, and expenses like rent were a luxury.

 “I started selling earrings at the mall and kept adding other items such as picture frames, and I kept at it for a while. Even though it was not much, the dream gradually became a reality because, in addition to other small hustles, I was able to maintain myself and keep up with the necessities of life. After some time, I tried making drawings out of passion, but because I am illiterate, I could not succeed,” he reminisces about his early days in Jwaneng.

 As a dreamer, he kept imagining how he would carve wood, specifically making traditional chairs to supplement his income. 

At the time, these chairs were the epitome of culture, representing authority and status. The vision became clearer and developed into action. A decade later, in 2013, he secured funding through the Poverty Eradication Programme.

 Although unable to quantify the exact funding amount, he vividly recalls how a single machine and a small operating space offered by the Jwaneng Town Council (JTC) transformed his life.

 Still leasing premises at the JTC Multipurpose Hall, Mr Wadikobo has turned his dream into a fully-fledged business that counts high-profile people among its clients. Some of his pieces have been presented as tokens of appreciation to President Advocate Duma Boko, Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe, and other dignitaries during their visits to Jwaneng. 

One of his major highlights was gifting a Morukuru chair to former President Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama during his public farewell tours across the country in 2018. 

His small workshop also hosted the late Namibian president, Dr Hage Geingob, who purchased two chairs. 

Although he acknowledges that such businesses struggle to keep up with modern markets due to a decline in consumer spending and lower demand for traditional chairs, he remains optimistic that art bridges the gap between poverty and economic opportunity. He seizes every opportunity, showcasing his products at District Market Days or displaying them in high-volume areas like shopping malls. 

Faced with escalating operational costs and long travel distances to fetch raw materials, especially Morukuru trees from the Moshupa area, he barely makes ends meet. Fortunately, he notes, Mokgalo, Morolwana, and cow skin used as main materials are easy to find locally. While grateful that his dream enabled him to build a home for his family in nearby Sese village and provide for them, he sometimes falls behind on business rent due to irregular income.

Furthermore, his health has suffered, and he complains of constant backaches from the manual labour of fetching, cutting, and carving wood. Funds permitting, he hopes to acquire industrial machinery to make production more efficient. Consequently, he has brought in his son to help revamp and carry the business into the future.

To adapt to a changing environment, they formally registered the company as Wadikobo Enterprise, a name honouring his legacy. “Since I am not educated, my wish is for my son to continue the legacy and take this business to greater heights. He is also better positioned to penetrate today’s technology-driven markets that call for innovative ideas,” he says. ENDS