The 2019 edition of South African Business is the seventh edition of this annual guide to business and investment in South Africa.
Regular pages cover all the main economic sectors of the South African economy and give a snapshot of each of the country’s provincial economies. Feature articles on topical issues such as Special Economic Zones and African trade provide unique insights, together with comprehensive overviews of critical economic sectors. Other special features focus on the exciting new possibilities in renewable energy, airports as engines of regional growth and the maritime sector as an entirely new prospect for South African entrepreneurs and businesses.
South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. The e-book editions can be viewed at www.globalafricanetwork.com
INTERVIEW Stepping out
INTERVIEW Stepping out to create quality products The CEO of Tirisano Holdings, Kgotso Ramooana, relates how a revitalised shoe factory is creating employment. What is your main business? We manufacture a variety of shoes, including pumps, sneakers and school shoes. Our production capacity varies from 200 pairs a day to 1 700 pairs a day. Kgotso Ramooana BIOGRAPHY Kgotso Ramooana is the youngest black shoe manufacturer in South Africa. He has a diploma in Arabic for Non-Arab speakers and is currently studying for a diploma in digital marketing. Growing up in a rural area, he succeeded against the odds. Kgotso has been part of the Standard Bank Accelerator Programme for Entrepreneurs and in 2018 participated in a seminar on footwear designing and manufacturing technology organised by the International Business Vocational College in China. His long-term vision is to see the factory expanding its branches worldwide. How was Tirisano established? I took over a factory which was previously owned by a co-operative which had collapsed. I had the privilege to have worked within the co-operative while in school, assisting with marketing and research. Seeing the rising unemployment within my community, I took it upon myself to re-establish the factory. We inherited a few machines from the co-operative which we had to refurbish to industry standard. We targeted the CSI school initiatives and pitched to manufacture school shoes for donations. We built traction which enabled us to approach government agencies for both funding and as potential clients. Did you have tough times? Market penetration was really difficult due to entry barriers. The wellestablished players dominate the market. From the beginning I knew that market analysis as well as establishing strong ties with other players in the industry would help me to have a strong foundation. We conducted a lot of research by visiting factories in Durban and gaining industry insight. What is the secret of your success? The success of our business lies in creating enduring relationships within the industry, producing high-quality goods for our clients, and a dedicated team that is always willing to go the extra mile. Is your business helping to uplift the community? Yes, we provide employment and we have up-skilled our team. We also donate shoes to our local community. What area of your business is growing? Our main focus has been to manufacture leather school shoes. We are in the process of increasing our production line to include the manufacture of PVC school shoes. SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2019 114
Tirisano Holdings Building a reputation in shoe manufacturing. PROFILE What we do We manufacture a variety of shoes, including school shoes, pumps and sneakers. These are manufactured from a variety of materials. The success of the shoe factory is founded on the creation of enduring relationships within the industry, and the importance of maintaining high-quality products and solid partnerships with our clients. Customer focus Key factors that help us succeed are: customer satisfaction, continuous staff training, a highly talented and experienced management team and maintenance of existing contracts. Vision Working together, our vision is to provide our customers with uncompromising quality, innovation and continuous improvement, which will result in profitable growth and financial strength for our company. Mission To build consistent business relationships and a good reputation among all of our customers. To encourage innovation and new ideas with new business approaches to keep a competitive edge. To become one of the most reliable and trusted shoe manufacturers in the market so all of our clients can completely rely on us. To consider and cater to potential wider market requirements. By drawing upon our experience in industrial manufacturing and distribution, we focus on delivering optimal solutions in the least time possible, through collaboration, knowledge sharing and improved efficiency. Skills development Management will need intensive training on various managerial fields to consolidate their knowledge. We will be working with various service providers and networking with other business organisations. Establishment of affirmative action or equity for the company will be enhanced. We will embark on programmes to familiarise ourselves with quality management protocols. We are committed to obtain advanced learning and prepare ourselves for any joint venture in order to expand. CONTACT DETAILS Physical address: Factory No 95 Site 140, Industrial Area 3, Phuthaditjhaba, Free State 9866 Tel: +27 (0) 71 747 2280 Email: info@tirisanoholdings.com Website: www.tirisanoholdings.com 115 SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2019
