The Sunday News
Thobekile Khumalo, Sunday Life Reporter
THE proverb, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, can be the story of businessman Mr Taurwi Macta who today is running a promising business of sewing clothes, some that he is now exporting.
His journey started at his home in New Magwegwe in Bulawayo where with the help of his family, they would sew a few suits and then sell them by moving door-to- door in towns in Botswana seeking customers.
Today, Mr Macta is an established entrepreneur, making strides in empowering others to become financially independent by starting their own projects.
“For a long time in 1989 up until 1999 I was working from home in a small space sewing suits with the help of my family in order to go and sell them in Botswana. By then the company was small with a few machines and stock and that limited my production capacity,” he said.
“As the company grew, I then moved from home to town where the business grew and I started employing people to help me. Even with my family we were no longer coping alone so we had to hire other people.”
He has now diversified into sewing school uniforms for various schools in the city and beyond and opened Macta School Uniforms Wear where he has acquired more machinery to boost production.
The company is situated at the corner of Fort Street and 12th Avenue in Bulawayo.
“The company managed to acquire more machinery and our brand grew, we are now specialising in school uniforms, protective clothing, suits, blazers and school shoes.
“At the moment we are facing financial challenges because we once asked our production team to stop due to economic challenges,” he said.
Mr Macta said according to his plans in the next five years, the company must grow to become a one-stop shop for school uniform needs for everyone in Bulawayo.
“As a company we are looking for financial assistance or even loans with low interest rates so that we can increase our stocks and grow the business. Our prices are very competitive and we know that everyone is struggling but we are in a business to ensure that every parent can afford to buy school uniforms for their kids,” he said.
