POLOKWANE – “My passion drives me to try new things every time. It all started accidentally when I turned my mum’s old car tyres into a chair. After several attempts to transform the tyres into chairs, the final product was amazing, I could not believe that I was able to make a chair out of old car tyres,” she explained.
Grace then started doing research and linked up with people who create furniture out of old tyres. She wanted to learn about how to make other furniture pieces and also how to decorate them, so that they have a unique look and stand out in the competitive market.
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“It is important for any entrepreneur to do thorough research regarding the type of business they are involved in. They should know what type of market they are entering into and also how to stay relevant and competitive in that specific area of business,” she added.
Grace went from house to house in search of old tyres which she could use to make her products. From here she had to come up with ways to customise and decorate each piece of furniture she made.
She says she was overwhelmed by the response from her community and the fact that people started asking her to make extraordinary furniture for them. Her business is called Ottofurn-Motor Mobile Furniture as it is furniture made from wheels. Grace says a challenge is finding material when she has large orders, as it has become difficult for her to easily source the material at a low cost.
She advances her skills and knowledge by watching videos on YouTube. In her spare time, the self-taught furniture maker gathers the youth to empower them with skills and knowledge on how to empower themselves. “I always advise the youth in my community that business ideas exist in all of them, they just need enough drive and passion to execute them. It is not easy to be in business, patience is a virtue and they need to work as much as they dream,” said Grace.
