While she’s always had an entrepreneurial edge – honed by selling accessories at school to make extra pocket money – Soweto-born Makgoba worked for the South African Air Force as a Captain in the Directorate of Languages before starting her business, Childish Trading and Manufacturing.
“It came about two years ago. It aims to create kiddies’ characters that represent African kids in Africa and its diasporas – embodying their stories, their uniqueness and their place in the world.”
While Makgoba had a strong vision for her brand, Momppy Mpoppy, manufacturing the dolls and complementary merchandise was difficult. “I faced challenges of limited machinery capabilities. I couldn’t manufacture the dolls’ plastic mould myself and struggled to find a local company to outsource to, so my life partner and I used money from our personal savings to design and create a mould,” she says.
“We had a business acquaintance who knew China and assisted us in obtaining samples and the final product. We decided to work with what we had instead of waiting for funding. In our first year, from creating and importing the doll, her hair and packaging, to creating matching dolls’ and kiddies’ clothing and party supplies, we spent close to R50 000. It was a stretch, but we managed. We haven’t taken out any loans yet or even approached funders.”
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