Two years ago, James Ochieng’ embarked on an entrepreneurial path by chance.
While
on his fourth year at the Kenyatta University pursuing a degree in
environmental Science, he was hired as a marketer for a leather firm.
After
months of driving successful sales campaigns as a freelancer, the
28-year-old decided to hang his boots, put pause to his studies and
start his own company.
Armed with Sh40,000 capital
saved up from his previous job, he founded Bantu Shoes in December 2014
in Githurai, Nairobi. He has since moved to Ngara.
His plan was to make and sell men’s leather shoes using locally sourced raw materials.
He
hired a shoe maker with years of experience working at a renowned shoe
manufacturing brand in Kenya, giving the business the necessary
craftsmanship to start out.
Since his capital was
insufficient to purchase a heavy duty machine which goes for about
Sh80,000, he bought a light sewing machine at Sh5,000 and modified it,
giving it the boost needed to stitch leather items.
“I started the business after months of doubt. But what
made me confident to embark on it was my previous engagement where I
had learnt the art of marketing and how to realise set targets,” he told
the Business Daily in an interview.
Two years
down the line, Mr Ochieng’ couldn’t be happier; Bantu Shoes has grown
from a two-man affair to include six other individuals.
The
firm’s monthly sales have also grown from the initial 10 pairs of shoes
to over 300. Mr Ochieng’ says Bantu Shoes sells 100 pairs in a slow
month and sales can go up to 350 when business is good.
The
price per pair, which come with a six months warranty, ranges from
Sh1,100 to Sh4,000. The portfolio includes a variety of designs such as
moccasins, half boots as well as school shoes.
To
produce quality products, the firm treads carefully through various
processes. Careful sourcing of materials and neat stitching are key to
the brand’s growth, Ochieng’ says.
“We start off by
drawing a design, then sourcing of the raw materials to make prototypes.
The last process involves testing the shoes, where we give various
people to wear it for a month,” he says.
“The feedback we get helps us to know where to make adjustments or if the large scale production process should begin.”
While
Bantu still produces shoes in the traditional way, Mr Ochieng’ has
moved away from the norm by marketing his products exclusively through
digital platforms.
He uses social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter as well as e-commerce platform Jumia.
“I
have seen the digital avenues work excellently for my business because I
am able to reach a wide clientele. I have no plan to do things the
traditional way. Jumia, for instance, accounts for up to 70 per cent of
the firm’s sales,” he said.
The biggest challenge in his line of business remains the cost of leather.
The
vital raw material is prohibitively high at Sh180 per metre, exclusive
of taxes. The lack of variety of leather patterns also hampers plans to
incorporate different colour and textural designs.
However,
he hopes that the government’s plan to set up a leather industrial park
in Athi River will give businesspeople like him access to cheaper and
better quality leather.
Another impediment he faces is
that Kenyans are yet to fully embrace locally-made goods despite them
being at par, if not better, with international brands.
“The
challenge with most locals is that they think we cannot do premium
work. But I take this as an opportunity to be the best. We keep
improving on our products durability, comfort levels and look,” he says.
No comments :
Post a Comment