OKAKARARA – Salatiel Hatutale travelled all the way from Oshakati to exhibit his goods at the Okakarara Trade Fair and says although business was not as good as anticipated he values the exposure that the trade fair afforded him.
The Okakarara Trade Fair took place from 3 to 8 September. His small company Liiza Shoemakers specialises in the creation of leather products, including handbags, shoes, waistbands, purses, leather jackets and other fashion accessories. Hatutale like many other small business owners in the trade is self taught in leather making and started by ordering a book from Cape Town on how to create designs. “It was always my dream to stand on my own,” he says, adding that he used to work as a boilermaker at a factory before he decided to establish his own business. After work, he used to create experimental designs with leather purchased from Nakara. Currently the going is pretty rough for the determined Hatutale, who has to create his products by hand which is a laborious process, because he cannot yet afford to buy machinery. “These things are in demand,” he said and expressed the wish that the government would respond positively to small entrepreneurs like him. He has been applying for equipment assistance from the Ministry of Trade and Industry since 2011, but without luck. Hatutale can be reached on his mobile phone at 081-285 7935.
Margreth Nunuhe