Cherilyn Lucena - Tehilaa Gold Bag
I have seen the poverty that many people live with here in the Free State. Creating employment for people in rural areas is what gets me up from bed each morning and also keeps me motivated to grow this business even bigger.
Cherilyn Lucena, Founder of Tehilaa Golden Bag
Cherilyn Lucena is the founder and director of a clothing factory, Tehilaa Golden Bag CC, based in Thaba Nchu, Free State.
From a young age, Cherilyn knew she would end up in the textile industry as she always enjoyed making her own clothes. Prior to opening her own factory in 2010, Cherilyn worked as a manager in a local factory where she acquired many of the skills and the knowledge required to run a successful business.
For the past 10 years, she has worked tirelessly to grow her enterprise and today she is a proud supplier to major South African clothing shops, including Pick n Pay Clothing, Mr Price and Ackermans.
In 2010, she bought second-hand machinery from an auction and employed 33 people to work at her small start-up factory. She remained hungry for more, confident in the knowledge that there was a demand for her services. However, she lacked the funds for brand new machinery and the business skills required to expand her business.
She applied for the two-year SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme and, in 2017, she was accepted, receiving business training, mentorship and R220 000 in funding. This enabled her to replace her old sewing machines with new, modern ones and also purchase more fabrics for the factory, allowing her to work faster and take on more orders from clients. After graduating from the Tholoana Enterprise Programme, Cherilyn applied for the Tholoana Enterprise Programme Alumni Funding.
She received grant and loan funding which she used to open a second factory in the same area. She was also able to buy brand new sewing machinery and fabrics as well as hire more employees to work in the new factory. Before being part of the Tholoana Enterprise Programme, Tehilaa Golden Bag CC had a yearly turnover of R3 million. However, after graduating, Cherilyn has managed to tremendously grow her yearly turnover to more than R12 million, an increase of 400%.
From opening their second factory, they have been able to accept more bulk orders from retailers and fast track productivity. Currently Tehilaa Golden Bag CC has 88 permanent employees and 25 casual workers. Over the next few years, Cherilyn plans on opening more factories in rural areas to create vital employment, while further growing her business to be one of the leading trusted suppliers to major clothing retailers in South Africa.