From selling clothes to manufacturing them
Fashion designer buys own factory
Chemical engineer-turnedfashion designer Pfadzani Mphanama is making waves in the clothing industry.
Mphanama, 41, ran a successful clothing boutique supplying trendy and corporate designs for both men and women at The Zone in Rosebank from 2009 to 2010.
She now designs, manufactures and also supplies the retail sector, high-end boutiques and fashion houses through her company, Exodus International.
Sowetan visited Mphanama at her factory in New Doornfontein, Johannesburg.
“It was in 2014 when I decided to learn more about making clothes. The factory was run by British couple Pamela and Helmut Schweitzer, who have since gone back home.”
When they retired in November 2016, Mphanama offered to buy the factory from the couple.
She struggled to secure funding to buy the factory, but eventually got it. She took over some of their clients and operational staff.
Born in Venda, Limpopo, she said some clients pulled out when they discovered a black person was taking over.
“Some white people did not care, as long as we deliver. While some companies are sceptical because the owner is black, some only work with us if there is a middle man.”
She said one of the challenges of running a clothing factory is that the profit margins are very small. “You get money, but it goes to production and running of the factory,” she said.
“You need to always have money because the workers get paid every Friday.
We have four days to turn around. We work overtime and on weekends.”
Her factory does everything from school uniforms, church uniforms, pleating to covering belts and buttons. Exodus International clients include South African Airways, Busby (Bidvest), City of Joburg’s Rea Vaya bus service as well as supplying fellow designers with pleats, belts and buttons.
Her dream now is to export clothes and have more clients who are reliable.