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Prosper Ndlovu, Business Editor 

GOODHOPE Leather Products (Pvt) Limited founder and owner, Mr Elliot Matsika’s success story in the leather industry started in a small rented room at New Magwegwe suburb in Bulawayo.

His journey started about 30 years ago when he ventured into the business on a part time basis using offcuts and discarded material from big industrial leather companies.

At that stage, Mr Matsika (59) had no idea this was only the beginning of better things to come.

As positive feedback from clients and demand grew, one room could ultimately not contain the business momentum anymore and neither could one person manage the growing orders.

More personnel, bigger working space and adequate equipment were needed to scale up business capacity and spread market footprint.

Today, Goodhope Leather Products (Pvt) Limited is a fully-fledged entity with business interests in multiple countries.

The big dream from a single room is being expressed in a bigger and better facility, where medium scale leather operations are being undertaken by more than 20 workers. 

The same premises are also being utilised for marketing and sales undertakings due to their close proximity to the end consumer of finished goods.

This is how Mr Matsika’s successful and inspiring leather story was born.

To cap it all, the versatile entrepreneur is also a multi-award-winning industrialist who has also carved a niche market both locally and internationally with his great aesthetics and fine quality leather products.

The company has exhibited its products in several specialised regional and international exhibitions. He was one of the 30 local firms that participated at the just-ended Botswana Global Expo in Gaborone and his products attracted a lot of attention from buyers and potential investors. 

In an interview, the outspoken Mr Matsika said his business background story evokes emotional feelings and solemn reflections on his humble beginnings. 

It took persuasion and persistence for the businessman to open up.

“This is not a story I talk about to many people as it is so touching to me and takes me back to those years when I started this business in a small rented room at number 2538 new Magwegwe in 1992,” he said.

“Actually, my background is in clothing manufacturing where I worked first and had never thought I would one day have a company of my own. But it happened that I later got a job at Baraka Leather factory and that is where I gained exposure to leather operations.”

It was at this leather factory that Mr Matsika began picking offcuts and discarded material from the company backyard and would take these home to produce small diamond bags. 

“It was from there that I learnt how to design and make bags and jackets in my room using hand tools. The clients were impressed by my products and my market started growing,” said Mr Matsika.

“Since I was still employed, I would quickly rush home after work and work on my project overnight so that I could be able to meet the orders from my clients. Eventually, I was forced to resign from work to be fully engaged in my project.”

It was at this time that Mr Matsika got married to his wife, Constance. 

He used to hire machinery from someone, but soon pushed to acquire his own to enhance production capacity.

With all the time to solely focus on his business, Mr Matsika said he got overwhelmed as orders kept piling up and he had to rope in a former work mate to assist him. 

For about two years the duo continued operating from the small crammed room, which they used as a workshop and family accommodation. 

The congestion had become so bad to an extent that his wife would spend many hours outside the room to allow the men to push the work with no disturbance.

Mr Matsika jokingly recalled how in one of the days their first daughter, Grace, was mistakenly covered by a heap of leather material while in her sleep, and how they jumped to action after hearing her screaming underneath as she struggled to breathe.

Today, Grace has grown to become a sales manager at the family-owned business. 

“This was a solemn moment in my operations and a sign that we had to look for a better operating space. Our orders continued to grow and we started attracting shop owners,” said Mr Matsika.

“My turning point was when I got a big order from Meikles Departmental Store and given our size this was huge. We did the job as expected and the bags were all sold out in no time. The buyer came and demanded more supplies.”

Since then, the business has continued to grow in leaps and bounds and they are now supplying their products locally, regionally and internationally. 

Mr Matsika said they acquired their own factory space at Number 36 corner JMN Nkomo and 2nd Avenue.

The leather industrialist said as a family they settled for the name “Goodhope” as it reflects strongly on the business resilience and persistence, drawing from religious values as they are devout Christians who trust in God.

“The lord has blessed us in many ways and we have won several awards locally and abroad in recognition of quality products,” he said.

“The market likes us for the quality standards and everywhere we have gone globally, we are being appreciated for this.” 

Mr Matsika has not stopped dreaming as he believes there are more endless possibilities ahead. 

He vows to use his global exposure to further fine-tune his product and become the best leather company in the region that produces handbags, briefcases, folders, wallets, satchels, pilot bags and belts.

“I feel I haven’t done my best yet and my dream is to become the best leather company in Southern Africa. I have learnt a lot from my travel across the world and I now know where I should improve,” he said.

 “In the next two to three years I will be there. I also want to establish a tannery, which will supply Goodhope with raw material and supply others. At the moment I source these from Prestige Leather and Zambezi Tanners with some materials coming from Harare.”

Mr Matsika is looking forward to having an integrated business model. He is convinced the leather sector is a low-hanging fruit for Zimbabwe, which could be unlocked for much broader potential earnings if given all the necessary support.

He is married to Constance and the couple has been blessed with four children, three daughters, a son and two grand-children.