The brains behind Thuto Stationery, Levi Mnguni talks about his business journey

TDM: What’s your competitive advantage, compering to your rivals in the stationery manufacturing sector?

LEVI MNGUNI:

1. Our designs are unique and different.
2. Our books do not require paper cover.
3. The quality of our glue stick tops most in the market due to special ingredients we are using.

TDM: Briefly, can you describe your typical customer that subscribes to the Thuto Stationery product offering?

LEVI MNGUNI:

1. A customer that’s patriotic.
2. Prioritises quality and willing to pay a little bit more.
3. Looking for unique stationery products.
4. Buying for themselves or buying for others as a gift.
5. Between the ages of 15-60 years.
6. Procurement or administration head at an institution.

TDM: What has been your contribution to the market and your goals thereof, from the inception of the brand?

LEVI MNGUNI:

1. Introduced unique, African designed and themed products.
2. Introduced the first of its kind books that do not require covering.

TDM: What is the vision of the brand and what sort of mechanisms you have in place to attract new customers, retaining the current ones?

LEVI MNGUNI:

1. Our vision at Thuto Stationery is to be leaders in innovative and modernised stationery, by cultivating the spirit of integrity, cultural genuineness and artistry.
2. We intend on attracting customers by;
3. consistently and continuously delivering product lines that embraces creativity in design and made of good quality material.
4. Through telling our inspirational brand story.

iii. Making our products accessible online and on the shelves.

1. Bringing in customers into the journey of creating certain editions within Thuto Stationery range.
2. Keep our stock levels at a good rate, especially during back-to-school seasons.

TDM: What would you say is the most selling product and why?

LEVI MNGUNI:

1. Our books- it is due to their unique features such as the quality of the cover and inner paper but most importantly the outer designs.

TDM: What would you say has been your most challenging aspects in running this business, and how did you overcome them?

LEVI MNGUNI:

1. Self-funding the brand posed serious challenges as the main products within Stationery requires big investment. I overcame this by reducing the number of product lines the brand can produce at a time.
2. Finding reliable manufacturing partners- This is still a continues challenge which we are mitigating through our partnership with Standard Bank, by accessing a wealth of various partners who are already vetted.
3. Inventory management- solution , I deployed a good warehouse management system.

TDM: Growth prospects – where do you see the brand in the next five years, and are you planning any expansion?

LEVI MNGUNI

1. I see Thuto Stationery in over 100 retail stores nationally and 5 African countries in 10 years.
2. I see the brand producing 300 SKUs.

TDM: What would be your advice to other small businesses, in ensuring they stay sustainable and provide authentic products and services to consumers?  

LEVI MNGUNI:

1. Clearly define your brand position.
2. Conduct sufficient research.
3. Give yourself time to learn the industry.
4. Fully understand your market and its needs.
5. Build structures and deploy systems early.
6. Bring in individuals with great skills that will enhance your own.
7. Place quality control measures in place.
8. Educate and train your staff about the importance of delivering magnificent service to customers.
9. Put measures in place to get reviews and feedback