High-end accessories: From kiondo traders to leather items firm

Had you told Jacqueline Muthoki and Emmanuel Njoroge four years ago that today they would be business partners building a fast-growing premium leather accessories firm, they would have laughed you away.

They had settled into their stable jobs and neither of them had entertained thoughts of venturing into entrepreneurship.

Then a kiondo (Kenyan traditional sisal basket) came into their lives.

While working for their previous employer, a popular coffee house chain, (Emmanuel as a manager and Jacqueline as a hostess), Jacqueline was gifted a huge kiondo in 2020.

It was beautifully crafted and caused quite a buzz at the workplace, so much so that her colleagues wanted similar viondos.

But no one knew where it had been bought, so Emmanuel offered to ask around and bring back a report.

“We found out that they are made in Kariokor. We went to Kariokor, saw the works, and a business opportunity,” says Emmanuel. 

They started buying the viondos and selling them to their friends and colleagues at a profit. Business was good.

“The first two customers brought others and it became a series of twos and more customers,” says Emmanuel.

Customers however kept coming back to enquire about how they could replace the sisal straps of their viondo.

“As we looked around for options, leather stood out. But more than finding an alternative durable material for the straps, we found another business opportunity,” says 29-year-old Jacqueline.

Taking a leap of faith

The duo did their research and at the beginning of 2022, took a leap of faith and quit their stable jobs to begin their entrepreneurial journey through their firm, Thonge Leather.

The company derives its name from the Kamba word for bags, Nthonge.

Gettting started

“I put our start-up capital at Sh1,500,” Emmanuel quips, adding, “This was how much it cost us to purchase the first two viondos we sold.”

To acquire their capital assets, they approached a bank, outlined their business plan, and secured loans to purchase five machines and set up their leather workshop at New Kitisuru in Nairobi.

“Each machine cost us Sh120,000. We also use brass as every bag has to have accessories. We also use cotton fabrics, zips, foams, and canvas,” says Emmanuel who holds a 40 percent stake in the company.

Facing the first challenge

When they started, Emmanuel says they soon faced their first challenge.

“We bought tonnes of leather from tanneries in Thika but then the skilled workers were nowhere to be found so most of the leather spoilt,” he says.

Jacqueline adds, “Getting skilled workers in this country is a huge challenge. Very few focus on design or stitches. This forces us to pick interns from schools, train them.”

Eventually, they found someone skilled, and soon after the business started taking off as demand for their products increased.

Streamlining design and marketing

Despite not stepping foot in a design school, Emmanuel has been the brain behind most accessories designs while Jacqueline handles marketing and business development.

“I have always loved to design. So I come up with the creative idea and the fundi then brings it to life.” He has enrolled in online classes in product development to improve his skills.

They mainly market their products through social media. They also attend big events where they display the products.

“If there is an event at KICC, we book a spot, if there is an event in Uganda and we can afford to go, then we go,” Emmanuel tells the Business Daily.

In a month, the duo serves 42 clients every month. “Most of our clients purchase laptop bags, ladies’ tote handbags, travel bags, card holders, and passport holders. We create everything using leather. When a client comes with an idea, we bring it to life,” says Emmanuel.

Their priciest bag costs Sh28,000.

Market target strategy

Thonge Leather is yet to tap into the export market as they are looking to first take advantage of the local Kenyan market which they say is very big.

“Our focus is on establishing our roots in the local market before shifting to the export market. Meeting the demands of the local market is a challenge. There is a vast market for leather products in Kenya,” says Jacqueline.

Their biggest break happened in 2022 after a client contracted them to supply leather gifts to some executive visitors coming to Kenya.

“We got Sh750,000 from the project. This is when it all started making sense,” says Emmanuel.

Biggest lessons

Jacqueline cautions against rushing for investor investments. She says, “Do not be too quick to get people to fund your business as you might end up losing it while it is still young. If you can fund your business slowly, that would be a better option.”

Emmanuel has advised that one should be patient with the process. “People management has also been a great lesson for us as we deal with people who are as young as us,” attributing their success to the lessons such as financing, costs, time management, and the financial discipline they picked up while in employment.

Jacqueline adds that listening to their customers has also been key to keeping the company on a growth path.

“We listen to our customers. When a customer comes with a design for us to make, we tap into that, and more often than not it ends up being a big booster to our revenue as it does very well in the market. The majority of our designs are influenced by our customers,” she points out.

The duo has had to deal with getting overlooked as the older people and key players in the industry are given the opportunities.

“We may be having the smallest of prices but then they will still pick the big brands with the high quotation price,” says Emmanuel.

Their biggest pride at Thonge Leather is the opportunity that they get to create jobs for the youth. “We are getting fulfilment from being able to empower and educate the youth, young people like us,” says 29-year-old Emmanuel.

Currently, the company has six employees; a head of production, his two assistants, a website designer, a photographer, and a finance expert.

Growth Plan

He adds that their biggest fulfilment is also being able to create something that people like and purchase. In the long term, Thonge Leather is looking to get into the shoe-making business.

“We have also realised that we are getting custom orders, B2C, B2B. We are looking to expand to have three stores to be able to deal with all these orders at the same time. Right now when we get mass orders we are forced to halt other orders as we do not have the capacity,” says Jacqueline. 

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