Matsidiso
Discover the brand that is for the thoughtful and bold, the conscious and colourful. The brand born from ballerina’s shoes, now bringing us the best handcrafted leather shoes and accessories. The Best Little Guide brings the story of Matsidiso.
Tell us a bit about Matsidiso - where did the inspiration come from? How did you start?
Matsidiso’s story as a brand formally started in 2017, when myself, Jinae and my husband Christiaan Heyns, embarked on a journey to make leather shoes in a family owned factory. However, Matsidiso’s story dated as far back as to the birth of Christiaan’s mom, Antoinette, who was the child born after a miscarriage and given the Sotho name Matsidiso. Matsidiso means ‘comfort after difficulty’ or as directly translated from Sotho to ‘blessing’.
Fast forward a few years to where the Heyns family shoe manufacturing business that was struggling to stay alive. The reason being that the factory had solely been producing dance shoes and footwear and a shift in the school curriculum at the time saw that ballet no longer be compulsory. This meant that the factory no longer had a demand to keep it running. After much contemplation and deliberation, myself and Christiaan came to the factories rescue with a bright and ambitious idea to utilise the existing knowledge and experience of shoe making and turn it into what Matsidiso is today.
2. Tell us a bit about your team - where are you based, how many people work on Matsidiso?
Our team is amazing! We have 14 team members who are cross trained and specialise in two or more aspects of shoe making. Most of our shoe cobblers have an incredible history in the footwear industry! We choose not to have the traditional manufacturing setup as in large factories, where each person has one job, typically where components of the shoes are pre-made and pieced together.
Instead, we first make each component from scratch which is a longer process but allows us more flexibility and also makes our bottom stock unique and our own. To remain resilient, each team member needs to have a few skills instead of one.
We are based in Epping in Cape Town, and we (did) have two retails spaces. On in Stellenbosch and one at The Watershed at the V&A Waterfront. Given the current events and the state of retail, we may need to move to a full e-commerce model for the next year. We also have an online shop.
3. As with any small business, there are inevitable challenges along the way. What are some of the challenges you've faced that got you to where you are today?
One of the biggest challenges and mistakes, especially not having a production or manufacturing background to start, was that I tried to do too much, too fast. I designed too many styles all at once, despite my husband’s wise advice to start with just a few styles. We expanded a bit too quickly and that came with its own set of challenges.
Along with all local brands, are currently trying to navigate COVID-19, lockdown and where to from here. The biggest challenge now has been how to divide our team so that we can efficiently manufacture shoes, which for us requires many moving parts and ideally the full team together. But we have a rhythm now and are taking it day by day!
And last, with so much time to reflect, it’s been a great time to tell our story, collaborate, share positive content and just be there for our customers.
4. What are you most proud of when it comes to Matsidiso?
So many things! It’s really hard to pin-point just one, but I would say the evolution of our shoes over time. All of the behind-the-scenes and hard work has paid off. It took an entire team, not any one person, and to see what we have achieved together makes me infinitely proud. Shoes are probably one of the most difficult industries to be in. We are not only a brand, but we run a factory. Both are complex with their own set of challenges, and I’m proud that we’ve made it this far.
5. What advice do you have for other business owners just starting out today?
Perfection is in the process. To start small and refine. So do things slow, do them well.
Also, it may sound cliché, but genuinely know why you are getting into business, your purpose, the deeper meaning other than to ‘make money’. The reality is, business can be very difficult, but if you have a resounding why and a north star when the going gets tough, you’ll have the backbone to overcome your challenges.
For more about Matsidiso, their story and their products. Head over to @matsidiso_sa.
Or better yet, grab yourself something online.
Matsidiso is also selling 100% cotton fabric face masks for a good cause. For every purchase made site wide, 10% of the total purchase will be donated to #masks4all to aid in the distribution and creation of masks for those in need all around the country.
