By Sizakele Nduli
Curiosity has a way of sparking greatness, and for Chepapi Sepetsi from Botlokwa in Limpopo, a simple YouTube video on crafting leather wallets set his entrepreneurial journey in motion. What started as a mere fascination evolved into a passion, driven by additional research and learning, allowing him to transition from idle days and fear of unemployment to mastering the art of leather crafting.
His business, Retrofit Boss, now offers custom-made wooden and leather accessories like belts, watches, keyholders, diary covers, bags and chopping boards. Reflecting on the initial stages of starting his business, Sepetsi shared his concerns about unemployment, explaining that the uncertainty of the job market motivated him into action. “What was worrying all along was the thought of being unemployed for a long time. This was mainly the reason why I started this business — fear of just doing nothing. I wanted something that would keep me busy while I was still job hunting,” he said.
Sepetsi studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Johannesburg, beginning his studies in 2016. He started his first internship in June 2018 and completed it by the end of 2019, the same year he obtained his qualification. To start his business, Sepetsi used the money saved from his internship. “It wasn’t too much of a hassle for me mainly because the capital that I needed wasn’t that hefty. I had savings from my internship. So, the first few pieces of equipment I bought, and the initial materials came straight from my pockets,” he explained.
This early financial independence allowed him to kickstart his business without needing external funding, which is often a significant hurdle for many entrepreneurs. Thankfully, Sepetsi also did not initially buy materials for his samples. Instead, he met someone during his internship who worked with wood and metal. When a client needed labels or leather tags, this person had some offcuts available, which Sepetsi used to create his first samples.
“So, I made the very first few cardholders and keyholders and posted them on my statuses (WhatsApp). “I remember getting five orders from my friends on the first day. I was selling the cardholders at R200, so that was R1,000 that came in. That’s how I managed to buy more materials and equipment to make the job easier,” Sepetsi explained. In many businesses, attracting customers, gaining visibility, and effectively monetising products are three challenges that entrepreneurs face and Sepetsi’s business is no exception.
“When I first started, I was alone, so the first challenge that I faced was the pricing of the items. So, some of the items would be underpriced, way underpriced and some of the items would be overpriced,” Sepetsi said. This was a challenge because a business would either run at a loss or have products sitting there with no buyers, mainly because they were too expensive. Located at the University of Johannesburg Doornfontein Campus, Sepetsi and two of his team members carry out all their work in their workshop.
“Everything from designing to cutting, stitching, and personalisation is done at our workshop,” added Sepetsi. To share responsibilities, the 27-year-old is in charge of designing and cutting the materials, while two of his team members handle stitching, with one taking on the role of personalising the products. They maintain the quality and durability of their products by utilising high-quality leather, including full-grain and vegetable-tanned leather. Even though the business is not based in Botlokwa, he believes his business has a good influence on the people of his community. His products are delivered via PAXI and can be found on Retrofit Boss’s social media platforms.
