Johane Garments becomes Johane Industrials in Lesotho
Owner Tšepo Johane's textile factory has moved from a small enterprise to full-scale industrial production after years of debt and compliance problems.
Johane Garments, a textile factory owned by Mosotho entrepreneur Tšepo Johane, has been renamed Johane Industrials and is moving into full-scale industrial production. The business, which began at a skills development centre, had struggled for years with debt and compliance hurdles. The change was marked at a launch event in Ha Thetsane.
Trade, Industry and Business Development Minister Motlatsi Maqelepo told the event the milestone showed what a determined Mosotho entrepreneur could achieve. He said Johane had told him months earlier that outstanding debt with the Lesotho National Development Corporation had brought the business close to closure. Maqelepo said the government supports manufacturing through funding and infrastructure for innovation.
Johane said the launch was deeply personal, taking him back to the skills development centre in Station where his journey began. He said he would double his efforts to make the enterprise a lasting success and described the factory as an investment in local job creation. Maqelepo said Lesotho still relies on imported threads and fabrics, which limits the benefits it gets from the textile industry.
Why it mattersJohane Industrials' move into full industrial production is expected to bring its local jobs and business plans into a larger operation, as Johane described it.