MASERU -FIRST National Bank (FNB) celebrated Africa Day in style in Mohale’s Hoek last Saturday by focusing on the African heritage.
The idea was to expose small businesses to a wider market.
The event is celebrated every year and its key feature is the flea market which provides a valuable platform for street vendors to showcase their products.
A founder of one of the small businesses that showcased their skills, Katiso Mosola, said the FNB flea market was a great success.
Mosola runs Be Nice Authentically (BNA), a shoe-making company.
He said the flea market created brand awareness opportunities for small businesses.
“Many people saw my products online,” Mosola said, adding that they had an opportunity to feel and touch them physically at the flea market.
“Many people wanted to see the quality of our products and were impressed,” he said.
He added that the platform also offered valuable networking opportunities, as they exchanged contacts with some corporate managers for custom-made shoe orders.
“The market really helped because we had never set up a physical pop-up store in Mohale’s Hoek, so it really created that opportunity with a lot of people due to traction of influencers and artists,” he said.
He said the main goal was to raise awareness of their brand and location. He said they are now attracting new customers who saw them at the event.
“Events like these are crucial for expanding market-reach and helping us discover new opportunities we may need going forward,” he said.
The founder of Buhle Organic Products, Likopo Nkahle, said the flea market provided excellent exposure for her business.
“We had the chance to introduce our brand to the community, network with other vendors and even learn how to improve our packaging,” Nkhahle said.
She also noted that sales were better than at other flea markets and they met new customers interested in buying in bulk.
Thembeka Mhlafu
