@finweek finweek finweekmagazine finweek^2 4 October 2019^47How did you secure the funding to get started?
I’ve never had funding or help. My business is 100% owned by
me. I built it from dress to dress, skirt to skirt, top to top. I don’t
owe anybody, nor have loans. I started off with a focus of order-to-
order. Now we’re going deal-to-deal. But for me, it doesn’t matter.
Whether it’s a profit of R3 000, R30 000 or more, I still treat all
customers the same.Tell us about your first sale.
My first sale was from an A-line skirt that I had made for a client.
As much as I enjoy making garments for red carpets,
I still enjoy making clothes that people can wear every day.What differentiates Mantsho from
other labels?
I have a good eye for fabric, patterns and
prints. And we create some of the prints
on Mantsho garments ourselves. I
have a real interest in textiles. We also
go to the ends of the earth to look for
unique fabrics.What are some of Mantsho’s
major overheads?
A lot goes towards fabric and petrol,
from running between the studio,
store and clients.How many people does Mantsho
employ?
I employ 15 people which, for me, is a lot.
This is where discipline as a businessperson also
comes in. One has to be disciplined with money, because you are
responsible for the livelihoods of 15 people and possibly more, when
you factor in the families they support.
There are two to three people who man the Mantsho store at
27 Boxes, in Melville, and the rest at the studio in Johannesburg.How have you managed to successfully run a design
business as a creative?
I may be a creative, but I am also an intellectual.
I love business, I read and keep up with business articles. I love
making money and enjoy selling clothes. I am such a hustler – if I
wasn’t doing this on a scale this big, I strongly feel that I still would
have been some sort of a successful creative entrepreneur.
Another thing: As a creative running a business, you can’t stay
in the creative zone forever. Else, the bills won’t get paid and some
things won’t get done. So there comes a time when I realise thatI now have to step away from the design process and step into
day-long meetings about, for instance, numbers. Then I also apply
myself in those meetings.
I am often the slowest in those meetings because finance is
not my forte, but I engage and ask a lot of questions and walk
away with a greater understanding and appreciation of the
business side of things.What are the types of business challenges you
encountered as a creative entrepreneur?
Everything, every decision, is a challenge in business.
Building a good team was one major challenge. Deciding on who
to keep and who to let go is a pain. Some people come and are not
the most trustworthy of team members, or are not what they said
they were. Or they don’t do what you ask them to do. This weakens
the rest of the team and you really need a strong team to succeed,
especially if you can’t always be there in person.
Finance was also a bit of an issue when I fully and properly
ventured out into business. There was a time when I struggled
to sustain the business. But it all got better after I went back
to school to finish my Bachelor of Arts degree in fashion
design. I learnt to be involved in every aspect of the
business – to be in tune with the business.Plans for the future for Mantsho?
The world is calling. We’re busy with a lot
of exciting projects that we’ll talk about in
due course.
We are also very selective about which
fashion shows to take part in; it’s not
about the number of shows you could
be in or carry out, but how many shows
you could do very well with. (I keep saying
‘we, we, we’ because I really have a good
support structure in place, including my
family at home.)
What I’ve also come to realise is that there has
never really been a black female role model in the local
fashion industry — someone who is leading, cool, funky
and beautiful. Someone with the qualities of a hard worker, like
perseverance for one, relentlessness, focus and discipline. I am more
than happy to take on the responsibility to inspire and lead.What is the one piece of advice you would give to
aspiring or budding creative entrepreneurs?
It’s tough out there. It’s got to do with ‘self’ and not necessarily the
‘field’. There is something that you strongly know about yourself,
that nobody could ever take away. For me it’s knowing that I am
artsy, which makes me gutsy.
I know that I am a creative and nobody can take that away from
me, whether other people believe it or not, whether you are chosen
or not, whether it works out for you or not — you will still retain that
talent or quality.
Sometimes it could even be that you serve well, and that is your
strength. Take pride in it and use it. ■
[email protected]on the money entrepreneur
Photos: Supplied
The Mantsho x H&M collection is
available online and in local H&M
stores including the UK, France,
Spain, Israel and Belgium.