By Kefiloe Kajane
Abia Tṧepe is the founder of Milk Productions, a company that specialises in pottery and art crafts.
Speaking to theReporter this week Tṧepe said he has always loved art and pottery but knew that he needed to polish his skills so that he could be a professional.
He said doing pottery in South Africa for some time forced him to head back home and register his company. There and then, he knew that he could earn a living from the craft.
Milk Productions produces cups, plates, Basotho pots and kettles using clay and other raw material used to make pottery.
“The challenge that I experience is that though I can find clay in the country, things like machinery to use in order to make sure that the clay is hardened is not easy to find. I have to go to Lesotho College of Education because that is where I was trained and it is where I can find the machinery. There, I have to pay electricity and to use the machines, so that is a challenge on its own because our businesses are unable to grow.
“Despite all that there is support from Basotho and that makes us grow but also you find that people are interested in products when they are from a big company. When you are an individual like me, you will find that people who support you most are those who love arts not ordinary people. I would like to see Milk Productions grow into becoming a big firm that can hire a lot of people like I have always thought it would,” he said.
He said if it were not for the fact that machinery is expensive and he cannot produce a lot of products as a result, he could have hired many people by now. For him to operate successfully as a firm, he needs a license from ministry of trade and industry which is expensive as well.
He said obtaining the license would help him produce in large quantities as he has not yet secured a large market.
He wished government can pay support such businesses and ease ways of obtaining a licenses. That, he thought, would enable his business to create jobs.
Tṧepe said not having the license to trade as a firm also limits him from selling outside the kingdom’s borders. He hoped that soon he can be able to lay his hands on the trading document.
Milk Productions can be found on the number +266 581 013 75.
