Case Study: Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge

Period: 2011 – 2017

R1,460,000 – Witsieshoek Micro Enterprise Development Spend

R920,000 – Thabo Molete, Bolof Construction
From Tsheseng Village. Manufactured furniture: beds and headboards, bedside tables, cupboards, writing tables, chairs, kists and mirrors for 30 guest rooms as well as dining room chairs and tables for the main lodge

R300,000 – Tsepanang
Group of six local women from Tsheseng village who sourced material and manufactured curtains for 30 guest rooms

R100,000 – Sotho rug weavers
Group of four local women from Tsheseng Village who made a large wall hanging and wove 32 rugs for Witsieshoek, an additional 12 rugs for !Xaus Lodge and rugs for sale to clients and a retail outlet in Cape Town

R75,000 – Tefo Magasane, Emandulo Creations
Manufactured 100 lamps, shades and candlesticks for the lodge as well as artistic pottery products for sale to guests

R40,000 – Local artists – Tsheseng Village
Twenty paintings purchased as décor for guestrooms and main lodge from various local artists

R25,000 – Beaded basket-ware
Group of four women from Bergville Village, KwaZulu-Natal made decorative beaded baskets to display beverage sachets, wastepaper bins for 38 guestrooms & basket-ware for sale to guests

Mr Molete – Bolof Construction: Spend  –  R920,000

Before 2014 Mr Molete had a micro-enterprise undertaking basic carpentry work in the local community. He now manufactures high quality lodge furniture. His workshop is in an abandoned light industrial complex in the village of Tsheseng. In 2014 on completion of the renovation of the Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge  Mr Molete was invited to Witsieshoek to look at sample furniture to see whether he could manufacture furniture for the lodge.After a faltering start, followed by consultation with lodge management,  manufacturing errors were corrected and Mr Molete and his team  have manufactured furniture for 36 guest bedrooms.  To assist Mr Molete in exploring business opportunities from Government agencies, the TFPD financial team assisted him to register his company on the South African Government’s procurement database.

Tefo Magasane – Emandulo Creations:  Spend – R75,000

Emandulo Creations, founded by Tefo Magasane, makes an ancient African pottery learned from his grandmother. All individually designed by Tefo and with no glazes or chemical process, the pottery products are burnished and smoke fired. Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge discovered Tefo making his pottery in a shed in his garden in an inaccessible part of Puthaditjhaba. Working with him to explain the Lodge’s needs Tefo was able to convert his traditional “pot” designs to become artistic bedside lamps with woven grass lampshades. Since then Tefo has also designed other items for use in the lodge, and sale to guests. In order to assist Tefo to expand his business, TFPD supported his application for finance and to be included in a Department of Trade and Industry’s business support programme.