Good quality and fast service place Ambrose a stitch above the rest
With 38 years' experience as a tailor, Ambrose Shilabe, can make near-enough any item of clothing.
POLOKWANE – Learning this skill from his father and honing it at the Madikoto Technical School in Seshego, Ambrose grew up in New Pietersburg but his family was moved to Seshego in 1964.
“My father liked being a tailor and I helped him a lot, especially during school holidays and over weekends, all the while learning a lot from him. He was a man who believed in schooling and I had to attend college to learn my trade.”
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Ambrose’s youngest child, a girl, followed in his footsteps and now that he owns shops in Market Street in Polokwane, in Paledi Mall in Mankweng and in Lebowakgomo, she helps him manage the shop in Lebowakgomo.
He loves to make new things and design clothes, but also does alterations. Most of all he loves to make suits, dresses and wedding dresses.
He combined his shops with dry-cleaning businesses, as people bringing in clothes for dry-cleaning often need alterations or repairs to be done on clothes. Combining these two aspects, Ambrose found, has helped him grow his business.
His wife has been working alongside him for the past 10 years and he added he does not plan to retire soon as he explained he can see clearly despite his age.
“Me being here at my stores keep service going good as I see to it that our high standards are being met. People come in here in the morning and want their clothes again in the evening when they go home so we must work fast to provide same-day-service. We also repair shoes in all my stores.”
Ambrose believes with the good quality and fast service he provides, his comparable pricing sees to it that his shop is very busy and popular. He employs four people and is currently teaching a young man the trade.
He loves to travel and enjoys visiting Malawi, Zimbabwe and Botswana for holidays where he enjoys going fishing should the opportunity present itself.
“I like nature and watching wildlife,” he said, adding he loves people and once, when their car broke down in the Kalahari, six cars stopped to assist the family. “We are still in contact with the people who stopped to help us and every two years when I go to Botswana, I take them something to say thank you.”
He is adamant he will not be retiring soon. “I will work for as long as I can as I believe I will get very old very quickly if I sit at home.”
