By Matṧeliso Phulane
The co-founder of Haka Productions Tumane Thabane has gone up a notch; in addition to manufacturing leather products, he is now providing lessons to people who interested in acquiring skills and knowledge to make leather jackets, shoes, hand bags, belts, gloves and Sesotho attire such as cow skin dresses.
Thabane is a creative who chose to embrace entrepreneurship rather than rely only on his academic qualifications. The 41-year old innovator who was born and bred in Masianokeng Maseru, holds a bachelor’s degree in statistics from the National University of Lesotho (NUL). He works as a statistician at the bureau of statistics.
In an interview with theReporter, Thabane said after completing his studies at NUL, he was unemployed for some time with nothing to occupy his mind with. That’s when he learned how to craft leather.
“In 2006, I approached one of my colleagues Moeketsi Ramahloli who is the professional in leather crafting at the nearby village of Makhoakhoeng, for assistance. Surprisingly, I started developing a love for the trade even though at the time we were only making sandals.
“In 2009 something spurred me to start my own business which I officially registered in 2012 after Ramahloli had found a new job. I started by crafting a belt, copying from the one I bought from one of the shops in Maseru. It came out perfectly and caught the eye of someone who then decided to buy it. He couldn’t believe that it was a hand-made belt,” he said.
Thabane said he started saving money to buy materials to make more products and expand his business.
At the peak of the Covid-19 restrictions, he had to travel to South Africa to purchase leather pieces, paints, machinery and other equipment to make the finished products. Now, he has to contend with the high cost of the Covid-19 test at the border post.
At the moment, Thabane works alone unless there is a high demand that requires him to hire an assistant on a temporary basis. He is willing to train anyone who wants to know about leather crafting and skills, but they have to pay a M200 fee per session which is only one day.
“I always tell people that it is important to keep their minds nourished with new things every day. I urge people to support me and help my business grow; my wish is to reach every corner of the country and make my products known.”
Tumane Thabane can be contacted at 62863051 and emailed at hakaproductionslesotho@gmai.com
