Lekopanye Mooketsi
14 February 2007
A Mochudi woman, Mokashane Nxumalo and three of her young relatives have come up with a rare business concept - chocolate-making. The popularity of their product increases, especially during special occasions like Valentine's Day.
Their chocolate manufacturing shop, which is known as Huguenot, is located at Molapo Crossing mall. It has been in existence since November last year, even though Nxumalo said she conceived the idea more than 10 years ago, but could not raise the capital to start the business.
Nxumalo thought about the idea when she went to the United States to study how to make special breads and desserts. The course also covered making pastries and moulding chocolates.
"My intention was to start a business in line with my studies, but when I came back I found there was an over flooding of bakeries. I decided to do something and realised that there was nobody who was making chocolates," she said.
Huguenot chocolate shop is the only chocolate-making shop, operating in Gaborone.
Nxumalo said since they started operating, they have received a positive response from the public.
She believes that in a year or two, the business will be well established. Nxumalo and her partners are not concerned about making money now, but are focusing more on building the business. "We are looking at the future. As the business grows, we want to employ more people," Nxumalo says.
They currently target corporate clients, including hotels and retail stores, but even individuals can place orders or purchase delicacies from the shop.
"We cater for any occasion including weddings. We also make chocolates according to customer's specifications," she said, adding that they are also targeting the international market.
Nxumalo said most of the ingredients they use are sourced from Belgium, which produces the best chocolate in the world. "We do not use commercial chocolate which is mostly fat. We use Belgian chocolate, which is the best and is very healthy. We pride ourselves in the quality of our product."
Nxumalo identifies their main challenge as having to promote and market their business. "We need to do a lot of advertising but we do not have the resources. It is tough," she said.
She appeals to relevant government departments to assist small business people in promoting their businesses, as they can also make a contribution to the country's economy.
Nxumalo said initially, it was difficult to raise funds for their project, but she managed to save for the project with her relatives.
They applied for a Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) loan but it was rejected. However, the determined Nxumalo never gave up on her brainchild and they eventually got a loan from the First National Bank (FNB), Lobatse branch.
Since then the four aspiring entrepreneurs have attended relevant courses to sharpen their skills. Except for Nxumalo, the other partners did not have any training in this type of business but have managed to catch up. Nxumalo speaks highly of her partners, describing them as a dedicated team. "Everybody here can do everything from production to packaging. The team is very committed. Even if we get an order today, we can have it done on the same day. Nobody lags behind," she said.
The four partners are from diverse professional backgrounds. One of them, Tshwanelo Moeng studied international business in the United Kingdom but she could not find a job when she came back home.
Moeng said when "Auntie" - as Nxumalo is affectionately called - approached her with the idea, she liked it. "I knew it was going to work and I joined the company to make her dream come true. I believed in her idea and knew people would get used to the product," she said confidently.
Moji Senwelo said he also jumped at the idea when "Auntie" approached him. "I decided to assist and believe that we will make it. We are appealing to the government and local institutions to support us," said Senwelo who traded his carpentry tools for chocolate-making.
He said if the government could support local businesses, it could lead to the development of the country.
The fourth partner, Neo Tshase, said they could have started the business a long time ago if it was not for lack of funds. She believes that their business is a sort of gift for the country.
The youthful Thase calls on other people to think of venturing into businesses. She said young people should think outside the box, adding that there are so many business ideas that they could come up with.
She said in life one does not always have to fall into the career they learnt at school. She added that they have abandoned their careers for something different and they are doing good work.
"We all have different skills that we should combine for the betterment of our country."
Judging by the exuberance of the owners of the Huguenot chocolate shop, it is clear that they will not let their "baby" die.
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