From business man to bouncer

From tanning leather to cutting, designing, finishing and manufacturing various products, he was endowed with rare talent that saw him compete with established businesses for tenders, most of which he won.

However, seven years later, the 34-year-old former owner of Tofa Fashions and Leatherwear is in Johannesburg, struggling for his every meal. A victim of the decade-long economic crisis that gripped Zimbabwe at the turn of the millennium, Hove now works as a security guard at night and concentrates on his business only when he has the energy.

Relating his story to ****The Zimbabwean in Johannesburg early this week, Hove nearly broke into tears at the fame and fortune he would have acquired had Zimbabwe not veered off the economic track the way it did.

I failed to do any good in my academic studies at Mpopoma High School in 1994, due to my epileptic condition, said Hove. I only passed woodwork and due to my love for mending shoes, after learning the skill from various cobblers in my neighbourhood. My mother enrolled me for a leather technology course, which was being conducted at St Patricks in Njube in 1995.

His first sewing machine

During the one year course, Hove learnt various aspects of manufacturing leather products, among them tanning and processing hides.

After the course his father, a former bus driver, bought Hove a sowing machine that he used to start his business.

I manufactured mens wallets, ladies purses, cheque book holders, executive folders and passport holders, among a number of other leather products.

As his fortunes continued to balloon, Hove got a tender to supply parastatals like the National Railways Zimbabwe (NRZ) and big private retailers in Bulawayo with his products.

NRZ began to order executive folders and belts, which I also had printed for them, while some retailers ordered belts and the Bulawayo City Council ordered a regular supply of belts for their security guards uniforms. I supplied these and some big hotels for four years.

In 2007, what had initially looked to be Hoves biggest break in his business later on became his heaviest fall, as the Zimbabwean economy spiralled out of control.

According to documents shown to The Zimbabwean, Hove supplied the NRZ with products worth trillions of dollars on November 29, 2007, but only got the money some months later in the form of a cheque.

I could not cash it over the counter due to some restrictions imposed by the RBZ, bemoaned Hove. I only managed to get part of the money, while the rest remained in the bank until it lost value due to the withdrawal limit.

The move South

Fed up with the situation in Zimbabwe, Hove shelved his machine and packed his bags for South Africa in early 2009.

There was no more business at home because most people were only concerned with finding money for basics and considered things like footwear and wallets a luxury they could not afford. I also found it very difficult to compete with cheap Chinese manufactured goods that had flooded the market and were a hit with the cash-strapped Zimbabweans.

In South Africa, Hove now works for a small security company, but his love for leatherwear manufacturing has seen him buy a new machine that he uses to manufacture products in his free time.

Here it is also very difficult to get business because there are many cheap products. I am trying to find some big stores that will order bulk supplies of the products, as most people prefer cheap goods, while I cannot lower my prices due to the quality that I am offering as I use genuine leather. Processed leather is also very expensive, hence the prices that I sell at. I have tried to get contracts with established stores, but I only get promises from them.

MY long term wish is to get somewhere where I can display my products regularly because I know that I can attract customers easily that way. I also need connections with the established stores that I can supply.

Hove remains dedicated to developing his skill in a way that will generate income and enable him to compete in the South African market.