A reluctant shoemaker who became a shoe guru

Rudo Mandiro

MR BRIGHT CHIPUMHA’s path to becoming a successful shoe manufacturer was not exactly what he envisioned.

Back in 1993, the then 19-year-old set his sights on becoming a chef, just like his siblings.

He applied to the Kaguvi Vocational Training Centre (VTC) in Gweru, Midlands province, for a catering course, but fate had other plans.

The programme had been fully subscribed and he had to make a tough decision.

He could either accept the only available option — shoemaking — or wait for the next intake.

“They said the catering department was already full and my only choices were to either join the shoemaking class or go back home,” said Mr Chipumha.

“I remember breaking down; this was not what I wanted or what I pictured for myself.

“I did not know that something big was waiting for me in the future.”

Given his limited options, he enrolled in shoemaking, but his heart was never into it.

He struggled to adjust.

However, a turning point came during his industrial attachment at Bata Shoe Company in Gweru.

A mere one-day tour of the factory sparked a new-found inspiration and passion in Mr Chipumha.

“It was a few minutes’ tour around the factory that changed my life; what I saw instantly changed my view about life and the path that I could take,” he said.

He soon began dreaming of owning his own shoe factory and creating his own product line.

He diligently saved money to purchase his first shoemaking machine, laying the foundation for his future business.

In 2010, Mr Chipumha took a huge leap of faith — he left his job and became his own boss.

Starting small with just one machine in his family’s backyard in Dzivaresekwa, Harare, he steadily produced four pairs of shoes daily.

Mr Chipumha vividly remembers his first sale, which was a resounding success. He sold over 1 500 pairs, many to Government employees, mainly police and army officers. He made a cool US$80 000 from that transaction. This initial boost provided him with the capital he needed to expand his business, named “Week Prize Enterprise”.

“I had to shift from home because I now had a lot of clients,” he said.

“The movement of people in the family yard had become too much, so I felt it was no longer proper to work from home.”

He eventually opened a mini factory in the same suburb.

The company soon flourished, employing over 30 locals and producing 50 pairs of shoes daily.

Disaster

Just as his business was taking off, disaster struck.

A mysterious fire engulfed his entire factory, leaving him devastated and financially unstable.

For weeks, he grappled with the wreckage of his dream.

But amidst the despair, a glimmer of hope emerged.

The Government’s VTC Start-Up Kits initiative offered him a lifeline.

The programme, run by the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, offers those who have completed vocational training courses capital and equipment to launch their businesses.

Initially hesitant, he realised this might be his only shot at redemption.

“At first I was hesitant about taking it up, but I then told myself that if I don’t, then maybe I would never get another chance to turn my life around,” he said.

“In a short time, I was back in business, stronger than before and much to my surprise, new and bigger orders started to come.”

With new-found determination, he seized the opportunity.

The start-up programme reignited Mr Chipumha’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Soon, life took another positive turn when he met Mary, who became his wife and business partner.

Together, they built an even bigger factory, producing a wide range of shoes and supplying retailers across different towns.

His enterprise rakes in an average US$15 000 a month, he said.

Despite his success, his ambitions have not dwindled.

In fact, he intends to further expand his business.

“Most of my family members are in the hotel and catering industry,” he told The Sunday Mail Business during a recent media tour organised by the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training.

“But I don’t regret taking a different path, even with the challenges at the beginning.

“The Government’s start-up programme for youths gave me a second chance.

“And now, I even have a shop in Harare, something I never thought I would achieve.”