Entrepreneurs

FROM A STREET VENDOR TO AN OWNER OF A THRIVING BUSINESS

You don’t need an MBA to start a business. Valuable lessons in business don’t always come from business books but from things around you.

George Moyo decided to take the entrepreneurship route after completing his matric. His journey in business started in the early 80s when he had to eke a living as a street vendor. Born and bred in the dusty streets of Alexandra, today, Moyo is an inspiration to many aspiring young entrepreneurs. His clothing brand Shosho was launched at Jet Stores in August 2021.

To become the success he is today, he had to endure a lot of pain, which included risking being arrested for selling in Johannesburg CBD.

“I started my schooling in Alex and did my high school in Thembisa at Boitumelong Secondary School,” he recalls poignantly. Moyo says he was inspired to become an entrepreneur by his mother. He reveals: “My mother used to sell some clothing at some stage. She used to do sewing as well. After I completed my matric, I could not go to varsity. This was during times of struggle. Then I started going into hawking in Johannesburg Park Station.”

In the early 90s, Moyo’s keen interest in clothing led him to start what would become one of few black-owned clothing brands, “Shosholoza.” How the name came about is the stuff legends are made of. He says the brand name Shosholoza was inspired by a song his father and coworkers sang. “Shosholoza originated from among working miners who sang the song to the rhythm of their swinging axes as they dug. When they traveled back home, they would sing Shosholoza.”

Even former president Nelson Mandela sang Shosholoza as he worked during his imprisonment on Robben Island. Moyo says this is a song of hope, encouragement, and solidarity.

“People used to sing along when they were working, and all that. In 1994 I trademarked the name Shosholoza,” he says.

In 1986, Moyo and Lawrence Mavundla formed the African Cooperative for Hawkers and Informal Traders (ACHIB). Today, this organisation represents the rights of hawkers.

“Being a hawker during those years was very difficult. You’d get arrested for not having a permit to sell. So, hawkers were arrested all the time. That’s why we started this organisation.”

When Shosholoza was launched in 1996, Moyo was in partnership with Gallo records. The brand became an instant success at Woolworths retail shops. However, when their contract with Woolworths ended, they decided to shift their focus to designing safety boots. Today Shosholoza has a strong presence in the mines. No miner in SA is not familiar with the Shosholoza Gumboot, a heavy-duty kneelength PVC mining gumboot with safety toe protection of steel toe cap.

In 2010, during the FIFA world cup, Shosholoza launched its first South African soccer boot. Among the product range was a Shakes boot, named after former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Isaac “Shakes” Kungoane. “The president of PSL was there, the MEC for sports was there, and all the veterans. We thought: If you go to Germany, they’ve got Adidas, the USA has Nike, Italy has Diadora, what about Africa?” says Moyo.

This year, Shosholoza has re-entered the market with the new Shosho range retailing at 426 Jet Stores. Moyo says this is the most significant milestone in his business journey. A far cry from hustling clothes from the corners of the streets of Johannesburg. He reveals that the Shosho range targets people between the ages of 18 and 40. This new range will hit the stores from the 27th August. Their goal is to extend their footprint internationally.

“When we designed this range, our goal was to make it Mzansi’s number one lifestyle brand. We want all who wear it to believe that we are building a new nation and heritage.”

“What makes our brand unique is that Shosholoza is locally manufactured. We are also buying our cotton from local farmers. Everything about our brand is about our country. The quality is just amazing and affordable as well,” he adds. Moyo says limited capital, support networks, and access to credit put most black entrepreneurs at a disadvantage from the start. “That’s why a lot of our people end up going into tenders. Because that is an easier way than competing with well-established businesses.”

On transformation, he says: “As a businessman, I think we need to transform the way we do business. Even if it’s access to the market, funding, and so on. We need to be strong in industrialisation.”

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to focus on what they love. “Have a passion for what you are doing. Business is not about profit but about making the world a better place. Profit will come after you’ve delivered quality service and products,” he cautions.

In his spare time, you are likely to find Mr. Moyo unwinding with his friends in one of the shebeens in Gomora. If not doing that, you’ll see him running every morning. He listens to any music, from Jazz, Amapiano, and hip-hop artists such as L-tido.

Have focus and passion for what you are doing. Business is not about profit but to make the world a ”better place.