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Lulama Sinluku, Product Owner
 


Imiso Ceramics

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Anyone looking for traditional ethnic but high-end ceramics that will add lustre to the most sophisticated home or corporate boardroom should pay a visit to the Imiso shop at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Cape Town.

A business founded three years ago by partners Andile Dyalvane, Zisipo Poswa, Charles Mayosi and Lulama Sihluku, Imiso Ceramics employs five staff, with all partners taking a hands-on approach to the business. Imiso has a studio in Woodstock, a “vintage” suburb just east of downtown Cape Town, and the shop, only two minutes away at the Old Biscuit Mill.

Meaning “tomorrows” in Xhosa, Imiso looks at ceramics in the same way that a professional smith works with gold or silver. Its focus is on designing pieces and classic ware that, in the words of Lulama Sihluku, “both inspires us and continues to keep us in awe or our own abilities to create”. Says Lulama: “We’re very focused on the high end of the market. Our designs are African but contemporary; we have a product that people from overseas can relate to, that they would want to have in their homes.”

The Imiso partners all met in the Eastern Cape. They’re all Xhosa, and all are under 30. “We don’t believe that being an entrepreneur is about how old you are,” says Lulama. “We’re taking our culture, many of the things we absorbed in our youth, and using them in our art. For instance, the scarifying (ritual cutting of the skin) that is part of Xhosa tradition is reflected in many of our products.

“Because of our age, and who we are, we want to set an example for many of the young artists we know who are not making any money out of their art. We’re really proud of the fact that in four years we have already created four jobs. That’s four jobs that didn’t exist before.”
Imiso makes high-end ceramics; ceramics that are things of rare beauty. Pieces typically sell for over R1,000 and can fetch as much as R28,000. “We don’t sell vases; we sell art,” says Lulama.
A firm introduction to foreign market via tourists visiting South Africa, plus attendance at trade shows and design forums, have laid the foundations of the business.

At the very start of Imiso, the focus was on building the brand and still is. “It never ends, building the brand, does it,” Lulama laughs. “But then we don’t really want it to.” She adds that, with the brand already well established, Imiso is branching out into new areas of design, including fashion, leatherware, furniture, textiles and accessories such as shoes, belts and T-shirts. The store in the Old Biscuit Mill remains the core retail outlet for the company’s creative output but a new shop, also in Cape Town, will see the fulfilment of the partners’ vision of taking their creative and design skills into new areas.

While Imiso is feeling the effects of the worldwide credit crunch, Lulama says they have no plans to cut back on marketing. On the contrary, she believes now is the time to invest in marketing “so that when we come out of this, our brand will be stronger than ever”.

In meeting the enormous costs of marketing, Imiso has a powerful ally: TEP. “TEP are really on our side,” says Lulama. “They do a lot for small business. We need to go, for instance, to design expos in Paris and New York but one person going to just, say, New York can cost R40 000. These shows are really important for us and we’re extremely grateful that TEP helps us meet some of these costs. We’re also planning to revamp our website. We’re really hoping that TEP will be able to help with that.”

Foreign markets, including tourists to South Africa and sales overseas, are vital to Imiso’s business; 70% to 80% of sales come from this quarter. Within South Africa, about 70% of local turnover is generated in Johannesburg partners are right now scouting for a property to rent in that city.
 
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