Stepping-up: On the road to building a footwear empire

© Shaun Chitsiga

A structured path to growth: SIYB training

Before this Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training, everything in our business was jumbled up. We did not know how to effectively integrate human resources or technology into our operations. More importantly, we did not have a strong grasp of our finances, how the different components of a business plan come together to influence the business. We were unaware of how critical it was to understand things like balance sheets or profit and loss accounts. Through this training, we learned how to interpret financial documents and apply them to our daily activities.

One of the key takeaways was creating a structured path for growth. 

A lot of it comes down to the knowledge and support we received through the International Labour Organization (ILO) programme and we acknowledge the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, who mobilised us for the training; including the African Development Bank (AfDB) who played a key role of funding the many opportunities. Without these stakeholders and cooperating partners, we would not be where we are today.

The training itself was an eye-opener. It was an intensive programme which was exactly what we needed to be able to think and plan strategically at that juncture of the business. While we had always been focused on producing good shoes, we were missing the bigger picture. This training helped us look beyond just making products. We learned how to incorporate essential components into our business growth strategy, such as marketing, human resources, the role of information communication technology (ICT), and finance.

© Shaun Chitsiga

It has not just about mobilising resources and hoping to grow— we now have a clear plan. We have identified market penetration as our strategy, focusing on school shoes, a basic but fast selling essential product. We are not reinventing the shoe; instead, we are using cost as our driver. We are carefully examining the components that make up our product, identifying the areas that increase costs, and working to reduce them. This has allowed us to benefit from economies of scale and thrive on volume sales.

The training and discussions with various business players in the SME sector gave us invaluable insights that has transformed our approach to the business. 

Sustainability plan: Mentoring a younger workforce for the future

Our workforce consists of highly skilled veterans who have been with us for many years, bringing invaluable expertise to the table. However, we recognize the need to inject new energy to sustain the business for the longer term. To address this, we have crafted a human resources strategy where our experienced workers step into mentorship roles. They are now responsible for training and guiding a younger, more energetic team that we are recruiting. This new generation will learn the trade first-hand and eventually take on greater responsibilities, ensuring our production systems remain strong and innovative.

'The journey from a small operation to fulfilling orders in the thousands has been remarkable, but it is only the beginning. With the right training, strategic thinking, and a commitment to evolving, we have set a solid foundation for future growth. Our story is one of resilience, learning, and continuous improvement. We are not just making shoes—we are building an empire."