Investor drops camping tents to stitch Safari bags

Workers at the Sandstorm workshop in Nairobi. Photo/BARBARA MINISHI 

By Mwikali Lati
 

 

In Summary

• Luxury bags and accessories adorn the inside of the workroom, home to one of Kenya’s most successful brands; Sandstorm.

A lingering smell of leather and glue hits one’s nostrils at the entrance to a workshop on the outskirts of Nairobi.

Luxury bags and accessories adorn the inside of the workroom, home to one of Kenya’s most successful brands; Sandstorm.

Sandstorm, which is approaching its 10th anniversary, started out making camping tents then moved to bags. The bags proved so popular that within a short period of time they became the focus of the business.

The business has undergone a revolution since Mark Stephenson, Sandstorm’s managing director, arrived in Kenya and invested in the company five years ago.

“Before I came to Kenya the company focused on selling to other retailers both here and overseas. But with the Kenyan economy doing well it made sense to concentrate our energies on retailing ourselves here in Kenya,” said Mr Stephenson.

Sandstorm sells both locally and internationally, with a presence in 40 independent shops in the UK. Its local retail business has grown from a single factory on Ngong Road to include shops at The Junction and Village Market in Nairobi, Diani Beach in Mombasa, and a new shop opened in Nanyuki last month.

Last October, the brand opened its first shop outside Kenya, in Dar es Salaam. Mr Stephenson came across Sandstorm while he was in the UK.

At the time, he was working in advertising where he saw brands struggling to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

“I was drawn to Sandstorm first and foremost because it was Kenyan: made in Kenya by Kenyans with Kenyan materials. Great products with a powerful story behind them that couldn’t have been more different to commoditised mass-production.

“It was a brand that I believed, and still believe, can do great things. In fact we’re challenging people’s perceptions of what ‘Made in Nairobi’ or ‘Made in Kenya’ means all the time,” he said.

Although their days of making Safari tents are long behind them, the Sandstorm team is still proud of their heritage.

“We sometimes describe the bags we make as being ‘Safari-grade’; it’s our way of capturing the fact that if we made tents that withstood the harshest environments then when we make bags with the same skills and materials our customers can expect them to last.

‘‘In fact to this day we make custom-fitted vehicle seat covers for many Safari companies and individuals, which is a throwback to the original tent-age business,” he said.

Last year, Sandstorm brought all its operations under one roof. Previously, the company occupied two premises, on Ngong Road and at Jamhuri Park.

Apart from being a better working environment, the new space also means that the company now has the capacity for planned growth and can continue to make high standard products.

Working better

“We want Sandstorm to be embraced here in Kenya and to continue to build a solid business base.

‘‘We’re also looking more actively at international expansion; we’re already working with the New York office of Holland & Sherry, a British maker of luxury fabrics. As word spreads about us, we’re considering a number of different opportunities,” said Mr Stephenson.

Often, other firms contact Sandstorm to manufacture their products. Last year a global sportswear brand contacted Sandstorm for such a deal.

However, the firm only works with brands that it can partner with in terms of label. “We’re proud of our work so every bag we make must carry a Sandstorm label and that’s non-negotiable,’’ said Mr Stephenson.

He recently approached some local designers for collaboration. Together with Nairobi T-shirt maker Bonk, Sandstorm created a bag to celebrate Kenya’s 50 years of independence.

Creative energy

“There’s so much creative energy and talent in Nairobi and we want to do our bit to help harness and develop this, after all this city is part of our DNA. We’re excited about the Bonk partnership.

‘‘We love what they do, the timing was right and we’re hoping that our 1963 Messenger Bag will prove a big hit and just the first of many other great collaborations to come,” he said.

The firm does not have a seasonal cycle for introducing new products yet, but it plans to do so in future.

It has introduced small accessories like travelling wallets, iPad covers, card holders and belts to increase sales.

To make its bags interesting Sandstorm uses different colours, local tanned leather, and canvas from Tanzania.

“My favourite definition of a brand is it’s a promise. When people buy something with a name or a logo, depending on their experiences, it creates a level of expectation. I would like people to see the Sandstorm logo and associate it with fantastic quality,” said Mr Stephenson.

mwikalilati@gmail.com