In 2016, two sisters from Pretoria started selling handmade crafts at a flea market as a “side hustle”. Today, their passion has grown into a business that sells products made from recycled material in the US.
Michelle and Morongwe Mokone, co-founders of Mo’s Crib, started the business showcasing paper origami swans that Morongwe had made for friends and family for years.
Michelle said customers at the market would commend the pair for selling a product that was environmentally safe, prompting them to make more eco-friendly items to sell.
“We were doing this for fun, we had very comfortable jobs at the time. But we then saw an opportunity in the market to make something that was sustainable,” she said.
Before working in the business full-time, Michelle had a job as an agricultural economist, while Morongwe worked as an executive assistant at food and beverage company Nestle.
Mo’s Crib is a homeware brand, focusing on crafting unique, eco-friendly pieces using recycled materials such as PVC plastic and non-invasive materials including banana bark, ilala palm, and elephant grass.
The company makes products ranging from laundry baskets and placemats to handmade outdoor furniture.
According to the sisters, it takes from five hours to seven days to make each unit of furniture, depending on the material used and the size of the product. The company produces and sells at least 40,000 baskets a year, for between R120 and R1,600.
To get PVC water pipes, we must go to landfills, construction sites and even approach the PVC manufacturers to make our products. Initially, the demand was much smaller than it is now, so the growth of the supply chain poses a bit of a challenge
Morongwe said sourcing materials was not so easy.
“To get PVC water pipes, we must go to landfills, construction sites and even approach the PVC manufacturers to make our products. Initially, the demand was much smaller than it is now, so the growth of the supply chain poses a bit of a challenge. We have exhausted landfills so finding the plastic is a slow process.”
Morongwe said that as every product was handmade, marketing them at affordable prices while maintaining the same standard was a challenge.
Despite the difficulties, the Mokone sisters are crafting homeware pieces that appeal to the retail market. Three years after starting Mo’s Crib, they approached different homeware stores to sell their products and now supply baskets to Mr Price Home, Woolworths and The Foschini Group's @Home stores.
Building on its local success, the business penetrated the US market through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which provides duty-free access to the US market for products exported from more than 40 sub-Saharan African countries, including South Africa.
Mo’s Crib’s products are sold at one of the US's biggest retail stores, Target.
“Entering the US market was not very easy. It's scary and initially there were a lot of things about it we didn't understand. But now we have a presence in New York and Canada among other countries,” said Michelle. “We had to get an operating licence, something we had no idea we needed. But we learn as we go, and it has been beneficial.”
The company employs more than 100 people, including 80 artisans behind the handmade products. Fourteen are permanent staff while the rest are part-time workers.
To give back to the community, the company has a library at its warehouse to help its employees improve their knowledge and vocabulary. It also provides the employees with access to medical care. For those who may need it, Mo's Crib also provides a transport subsidy.
“We also give our employees a day off on the last Friday of every month so they can do things they need to do but can't because they are always at work. We are not just advocating for sustainability of the environment but in the workplace as well,” said Morongwe.
She said the goal was to become a global brand, supplying South African products to countries in Europe and other places such as the United Arab Emirates.
The company also wants to increase awareness of the brand locally by continuing its warehouse factory sales, with the next one set to take place from December 6 to 10.
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