20 May 2014

When she was growing up in the dusty streets of Ghanzi, Ms Irene Sibeko was such a playful girl, and just like any other girl of her time, she often compromised with dolls fashioned out of old fabrics when her parents could not provide her with modern ones.

However, what set her apart was that even later during her senior school days she continued to fashion out such items, and she was so in love with artwork such that when she was given a chance to choose a practical subject at school, she opted for art which was not surprising to those who grew up with her.

As she gained more and more skills form the formal classroom, she now diversified into usable items such as beadwork, and today her childhood passion is feeding her. In fact, Sibeko reveals that her final project in art at senior secondary school was beadwork, and from henceforth she never took her foot off the trade after realizing her potential.

That was way back in 1999.“During that time I did beadwork almost all the time, but I was doing it just for the fun of it, and in 2009 I started selling a few of my items not necessarily out of need, and that is when I realized that my hobby has the potential of bringing in money if I took it seriously,” she said.

Sibeko said in 2010 she approached the Department of Youth who sponsored her to the tune of P68 000 with the Youth Development Fund, and that is then that she registered a company named Bontle jwa Tlhago Creations, owing to the fact that most of her products were associated with culture and nature.

She said since then she has seen her star rising and rising. “Ever since I was sponsored by the Department of Youth I have been growing rapidly in experience because they have been taking me to a number of exhibitions such as Consumer Fair and BOCCIM fair to showcase my skills,” she said.

“I have even exhibited at international events across the border. I have been doing exceptionally well in these fairs despite not being such a seasoned exhibitor.”
Sibeko prides herself in the fact that during these exhibitions, she was not just an exhibitor, but a competitor who gave seasoned artists a run for their money.

“In 2012 I attended the gender fair in Gaborone and got position one in the level one category which is the one for beginners.” she added. “Then the following year still at the same competitions I moved to level two and got position one again. Still in the same year I exhibited at the Botswana Consumer Fair and got first prize in the manufacturing sector.”

Sibeko said this year she would be exhibiting at the gender affairs exhibition again, but this time in the level three category, “and of course, I am expecting position one again,” she said. The artist said she has also been taking part in the president’s arts competitions where she also did well in 2012 and 2013 by taking position two.

Her taste of the international stage came last year when she attended an exhibition in Swaziland, but she said she went there just to market and sell her products and not compete. “The Swaziland exhibition really opened my eyes and it was then that I realised Botswana products can sell on the international stage,” she said.

“I went there with only a few items and regretted that because all the items I had with me instantly sold out.” She said while in Swaziland, she realized that her business could be bolstered further if she diversified into more than just beadwork.

She then tried a few woodcarving items and realized that they can have a profitable market in Botswana. She said: “However, woodcarving is really not my specialty, I sometimes just buy finished products in Swaziland and sell them here at a profit, some people may wonder why I buy woodwork product so far, but the truth is that they are much cheaper in Swaziland.”

Despite staying in the Ghanzi area which is home to a large population of Basarwa who are renowned for their skills in handicrafts, Sibeko said people in the area are not really into such trade.  “I have tried buying around but usually struggle to find a reliable supplier of wooden crafts,” she said.

Another area she has also tried is leather products. She buys her leather from as far as Kenya as it’s much cheaper there than in Botswana, even when she includes transportation fees. However, the 33 year old married mother of two said woodwork and leather work are not really her thing at the moment, and that her main focus and enthusiasm, just like when she was still growing up in the dusty streets of Kgaphamadi ward in Ghanzi, is still beadwork.

At the moment, she still plays the part of an octopus in her project. She produces, markets and sells her products all by herself even though the work is overwhelming. She added: “I enjoy producing the beads and spend most of the time just churning out various beads product to the extent that I can have a lot of items lying at home that still need to be sold, that is my flaw.

So I am planning to employ a helping hand who will focus on marketing and selling my products while I focus on what I love and do best, producing more beadwork products.” In this modern era of internet, Sibeko said her job has been made much easier because she is such an avid researcher and reader of magazines.

She said during her spare time she surfs the internet and goes though fashion magazines to learn more on beads patterns. With more energy focused into marketing and selling of its products, Bontle jwa Tlhago Creations has the potential to take the local market by storm, especially that Ghanzi is a passage by tourists to Maun, a crop that loves to take souvenirs home.

This thinking puts the smile on Mr Bornwell Sikombwa, the assistant programmes officer in the Ghanzi region. Mr Sikombwa said: “This project is doing well even though in most instances she is frustrated by the market, not that it is limited, but because she has not had much exposure.

Her business is still new and we have been trying to take her around to exhibitions and inviting her to market fairs to expose her. We exploit any available opportunity to help market her, including the extent of going from office to office to advertise her products.”

He said without hesitation that Bontle jwa Tlhago Creations was one of their best projects in the area, and that even though she was still struggling, they are proud of her. He urged the public to come out and support her. Struggling as she may be, Sibeko said she was not deterred because after all it was normal for a business to struggle in its infancy stages. Ends