04 Aug 2014

For many years, the furniture manufacturing industry has been a preserve of mostly non-Batswana.

However, in recent years, many Batswana entrepreneurs have been venturing into the industry and they are now making their mark by producing quality furniture for domestic and regional markets.

One such entrepreneur is Mr Peter Mangoyani, who has been operating a furniture manufacturing company in Letlhakane since 1996. His company manufactures all sorts of furniture, including wardrobes, chest of drawers and tables.

Mr Mangoyani said furniture manufacturing, like any other industry where one is self-employed, needs dedication and hard work. He revealed that he started his company from scratch and learnt along the way that he had to treat his customers with courtesy and respect so they would market his company.

“It’s important to respect customers and create a bond with them. That way they will always come back for more and also market your company by telling others about you,” he said.

However, Mr Mangoyani said his cash flow is affected by customers who purchase furniture items on credit and then take too long to pay. He added that such customers affect his business negatively because without cash he would not be able to buy materials to make more furniture.

“This is a small business that was started with almost nothing. Therefore we depend on cash flow and without it we can’t survive,” he said.

Mr Uyapo Masunga, a long-time customer of Mr Mangoyani, said he likes the furniture items produced by Mr Mangoyani because they are durable, affordable and attractive to the eye. He added that one other strategy that has proven to be popular with customers is that of allowing customers to lay bye their furniture items instead of buying on hire-purchase.

“Buying on hire purchase is very expensive and most customers don’t like it. We like Mr Mangoyani’s products because he allows us to lay bye and save a lot of money. Also, the balance does not attract interest,” he said.

Another customer, Ms Tidimalo Motswagae said she buys from Mr Mangoyani because he is a local entrepreneur who also produces quality goods. She urged Batswana to empower local entrepreneurs by buying their products and thereby contributing to citizen empowerment and economic growth.

“We must get rid of the mentality that local products are of cheaper standards and quality. We must cherish local products and stop buying cheap and substandard products from other countries,” she said. ENDS