Entrepreneur lives off canvas, leather
Pule works on any upholstery Says CEDA & other funding institutions should believe in Batswana
In recent years there has been a clarion call for entrepreneurship to be a mechanism to fight youth unemployment in the country. For Kago Edwin Pule, starting his own enterprise was to keep off the streets but also use his skills to create a legacy. Pule, who is based in the township of Peleng in Lobatse, operates Motshwarateu Canvas Products. He works with canvass, leather and pleather ( faux leather).
Some of the products and services he offers include making laptop, luggage and travel bags, cooler boxes, camp chairs, as well as bedrolls, canopies and tents. He also refurbishes and upholsters sofas, repairs vehicle dashboards, chairs and seat covers, and does door panel replacements and makes and fits canvas canopies for double cruisers as well as vans and trailer covers.
Pule has no formal training, he learnt on- thejob, and his ingenuity is evident to even an untrained eye. Speaking from his humble workshop recently, he decried lack of start- up capital and finance as a recurring challenge for young entrepreneurs. He said last year he had gone to CEDA to ask for funding but they dismissively told him that they would get back to him.
He realised that he could not wait for financing, and scrounged money to register his business. He explained that since he doesn’t have start- up capital, he usually asks clients to pay a deposit, which he uses to buy material. “If I had a lot of money, I would not ask for a deposit but luckily most of my clients understand my situation and support me.”
Pule’s meticulous work is the result of several years of training. Pule fell into working with canvass and upholstery by default. He says growing up as a young boy; all he wanted was to be a football player. He would later have an enjoyable stint with the Lobatse side, Extension Gunners. He explains that he however realised that in Botswana, passion does not always pay the bills, so he had to find a job to supplement the meagre income from football.
In 2012 he got a job at Lobatse Canvass, also known as Lobatse Cap and Helmet. This is where he learnt to repair and upholster. He took to the
job like duck to water because he enjoys working with his hands. His hard work paid off and he was promoted to foreman. He was encouraged to chisel his skills by his mentor and associate, James Itumeleng, who often pointed out that he ( Pule) was gifted. In 2017 he left to join Pasdac, and worked his way up again. Towards the end of 2019, he started toying with the idea of starting his own business. Before he started his business, he challenged himself and took an old sofa and refurbished it. A friend complimented his work and told him that he has what it takes to start his own business. That was all the affirmation he needed and he took a leap of faith. His business has grown largely through word of mouth, referrals and social media.
Apart from his skill, it is the lower pricing that attracts new clients. He explains that while he might seem to be under- charging, he is forced to set prices premised on the Lobatse market. “Here people will complain about prices so I have to set them lower. So, when someone in Gaborone hears about me, they realise I am cheaper. They will drive all the way here because from the difference of what I charge and what is charged by a business in Gaborone, they can save some money for fuel and have a bit of money left.”
Pule expressed hope that he would secure funding or find a credible investor. A roll of 50m of canvass costs between P5000- 6000 which is steep for him. He says he wants to create products in bulk but cannot afford to right now because of lack of funding. He further says that he also wants to train a few young people. He also explained that it is currently difficult to run and grow a business while also working in it. “I want to impart my skills and have individuals who help me here. If I have a client away from town, I am forced to close the workshop. It takes a day to finish a single order but if I had workers, we could get three to four orders done daily. Some people want to come on board but I cannot afford to pay them right now.”
Pule said many Batswana have talent and skill but they are held back by lack of finance. He encouraged institutions licensed to fund businesses to show greater initiative and support, and to also believe in Batswana and the beauty of their dreams.