SUCCESS STORY
ONE OF EACH
Mother-daughter duo aims to take design & manufacturing business global
Zimbabwean-born Tamburai Chirume and her mother, Pauline, are the co-owners of ONE OF EACH, producers of bespoke African-inspired handbags and accessories.
The pair manufacture their products from leather off-cuts and ethnic-printed material in a shared studio off Buitenkant Street in Cape Town’s east city precinct.
Tamburai started the business in 2014 and left her corporate job in 2016 to pursue her dream.
“It’s not that I wasn’t happy, I had a really good job with First Rand Group,” says Tamburai. “When I left, they told me that I could come back at any time. That was because I had the ability to be an employee that was an entrepreneur who brought on ideas.”
Pauline Chirume is the designer and Tamburai works more on the styling and marketing side of the business.
“People are always curious to know how a mom and daughter collaborative works,” says Tamburai. “It’s really been an amazing journey, because the two of us contribute to the business in different ways. My mom’s got the creative energy and I’ve got the business acumen, which I probably got from my father.”
The ONE OF EACH signature product is their handbag, which is one pattern and design, but comes in different colours and leathers. “While the design is the same, none of our handbags look the same – it is truly one-of-a-kind,” says Tamburai.
The dynamic duo plan on expanding their business to the US, currently their biggest market. “Over 80% of our customer base is in the US,” says Tamburai. “We want to be able to be that African brand that has a store in New York, that’s the big dream. But from here we have to really prepare ourselves for that dream, so it’s constant working and upskilling. It is possible.”
About Cape Town as a business destination, Tamburai says: “It’s a great place for start-ups because of the ability of collaboration. I find that people here are willing to collaborate and exchange ideas, like for instance the studio and manufacturing space that we have is basically a shared space, so it allows you to start small, because literally when we started our rent was like R500 a month.
“I find that doing business in Cape Town has been a good place for me to start. We have the tourist market here, those are the people that are buying our product.”
ONE OF EACH employs 9 staffers and has a store at the Watershed at the V&A Waterfront.
