Tarpaulin boosts Seoke�s business ambitions
Chakalisa Dube | Monday March 31, 2014 11:07
However a tour of Brazil is what the 50-year-old father of four needed to kick-start his business.
“In 2006 I toured Brazil where I visited an upholstery manufacturing factory that manufactures various products using tarpaulin.
“I developed an interest to start such a business in Botswana. “I have always wanted to start a business but I have to admit that a trip to Brazil ignited me to do so,” he said.
Seoke is the proud owner of a promising business ‘Line Feeds’ located in the Somerset Industrial area behind CTM where he hosted the Monitor Business team.
Line Feeds attracted the attention of the media and the public recently when it unveiled a P300,000 sponsorship to the Botswana Integrated Sports Association (BISA) north region.
The business focuses on manufacturing flat tarpaulins, taut liner curtains, tipper cover tarpaulins, tents and marquees, canvas products, cargo nets, welding screens and general tarpaulin handling accessories.
“I have always wanted to venture into the manufacturing business because apart from creating many jobs it is fairly lucrative,” he added. Seoke employs 13 people at Line Feeds in all departments, namely the administration, embroidery and the manufacturing section.
He started his business in the middle of 2008 almost two years after his life-changing trip to Brazil, but by then it was being run by his wife Gorata. Seoke quit his job at KBL where he worked as a branch manager in Francistown to focus on running the business together with his wife. That was in September 2012.
His started his business with the assistance of commercial banks. The banks, he maintained, still help him fund some aspects of his business.
Seoke’s client portfolio includes the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), Botswana Railways, Haskins, the Central Transport Organisation (CTO), mines and individuals.
“It is however the railways tender that I believe will greatly boost my business. The tender was given to me last December and it’s for three years.
“I will be supplying tarpaulin covers for wagons that carry salt. The tender is fairly lucrative though I cannot divulge how much it is worth,” he said.
Seoke also credits the Local Entrepreneurship Authority (LEA) for helping his business grow.
“The organisation has provided me with devoted officers who have provided useful mentorship on various aspects, as to how one runs a business. Their mentorship has helped my business grow,” he explained.
Apart from Line Feeds, Seoke also owns two bars and a bottle store - one in Masunga and the other, in Francistown.
“Having worked for KBL under various departments since the early 1990’s until 2012, it is hard for me to disassociate myself from the alcohol trading business,” he said.
He is also an accredited Samsung distributing agent and his shop is located near The Voice offices in Francistown.
“All my businesses are doing fairly well. I have a staff compliment of 21 people in my businesses including those at Line Feeds,” he said. Line Feeds does have its own challenges according to Seoke.
“The main challenge is that of skills especially people who can deal with tarpaulin but I am hopeful that things will change in the near future. “We do offer practical internships to students from vocational training students to impart them with skills on various sectors of the upholstery industry”.
Seoke also has an agreement with Seed and Grain South Africa to be a distributor of some of their products such as bucket elevators, grain dams, grain silos, dam liners and some tarpaulin products.
“I met them while I was looking for tarpaulin material and we struck a deal. They were also looking at penetrating the Botswana market,” he explained.