POLOKWANE – Matthews Masekoameng dropped out of school in Gr 10 and had to seek any form of employment that would help him feed his family. The man from Seshego comes from a disadvantaged background and personal issues compelled him to drop out of school and start a business.
The idea of his business started in high school when Matthews’ friends would compliment his shoes and how white and clean they were. “My shoes were always clean and my school shoes were always shining. I decided to clean my friend’s shoes and he was ecstatic when he saw them. From there-on, I was responsible for cleaning his shoes.”
From the comfort of his home, Matthews has been cleaning shoes for people in his neighbourhood for years and the 28-year-old also has a stall where he sells snacks and sweets, before the national lockdown inconvenienced him greatly. He then decided to turn his skill into a fully fledged business, Matt Shoe Care, in the hopes of reaching a larger market.
“My clientele are people who know me but I want to broaden it to make it more profitable.” Matthews is very appreciative of his community for trusting him with their shoes for all these years, as that has helped him support his family to date. He hopes that his business will grow enough for him to create employment opportunities and have a few people work for him.
“I have been struggling with employment and I know it is hard to have something small to be your breakthrough, but I have hope and trust in my work.” Matt Shoe Care offers deep cleaning, colour restoration, leather, sole re-whitening and deep suede cleaning. Potential clients can contact Matthews at 064 935 8890 or 065 985 3387 and he collects, cleans and delivers right to your door.
