Marketplace linking artisans to buyers

Every last Saturday of the month, creatives and artisans within Makers of the Innovation Village (MoTIV) light up the space with decorations of their hand made products.

The jovial mood at MoTIV denotes that the creatives are ready to transact business for products they have been working on for the curious and enthusiastic buyers who throng the maker space for the Omwoleso.  ‘Omwoleso’ is a Luganda word for exhibition.

Omwoleso is a monthly marketplace for creatives and artisans to showcase their products. It is one of the trending events within the social calendar because at every rotation of the eye, there are beautiful and uniquely made products.

Most of the industries ranging from textile to earthenware in form of beautiful ceramics and beauty products extracted from milk and Shea nut trees are well-exhibited. Other products showcased include; jewelry and poetry.

Amidst an upbeat atmosphere of live music performances, the aroma of barbeque and various cuisines fill the air. When Ms Gloria Asekenye, started Bonnet culture, which makes hair coverings and pillows made from kitenge and satin fabric two years ago, she used to sell and market her products online.

She notes that although online platforms such as social media give brands visibility and a marketplace for online businesses, Bonnet Culture did not attain the desired customer engagement until the Omwoleso.

“Before Omwoleso, I had never had a physical location where customers could interact with my products,” Ms Asekenye recalls.

She recounts being an active participant at various events but after attending the past three editions of Omwoleso, interacting with various buyers and entrepreneurs who attended the exhibition; Asekenye eventually realised that she needed to brand her business better.

Asekenye has since reviewed Bonnet Culture’s social media platforms and designed a logo. 

“I am already registering changes in business. Besides increasing sales, I now have a community of entrepreneurs that share business advice and motivate me to improve my brand,” she says.

Ms Asekenye adds: “Whenever I hear that there is Omwoleso, I mark my calendar and attend the show because it allows me to make a week’s sales in one day,” Ms Asekenye speaks joyfully about the monthly exhibition at MoTIV. 

Her sales have grown from Shs40,000 to Shs100,000 per week. “Bonnet Culture’s social media platforms have more engagement and sale-out now,” she says, adding that she has been able to strike invaluable partnerships with people who supported her to formalise the business. 

She is not the only beneficiary.

For Mr Kenneth Lubulwa of Penny and Kenny Crafts, his customers get to have a personal feel of the bamboo and wood products he makes and displays on Facebook  at the marketplace.

He concurs that most creatives and makers use social media to trade his products because their physical market avenues are limited due to the restrictions and Internet shutdown which made it hard to cope with the growing demands for products and sustainability of the business.

“With Omwoleso, artisans of handmade products such as crafts are able to physically interact with customers while using the platform (Omwoleso.africa) to display their products to a wider market; something that compliments their individual digital marketing skills,” Lubulwa says.

He adds that given how amazed most buyers were by the uniqueness of his furniture, utensils and household items, Lubulwa now anticipates more customers and sales.

Mr Nick Spencer, Marketplace Lead at MoTIV, says Omwoleso was introduced as a necessary response to the unique quality Ugandan products made at MoTIV to enable the makers to showcase their products, grow their brands and connect with customers. 

“The platform exists to give makers space and resources to tell their story and connect with their customers,” Mr Spencer says. 

Having built a space for artisans and creatives working with woodwork, textile, metal and other materials; it was paramount for us to provide a place where they could exhibit their merchandise.

“With just a small exhibition that started in January this year, the event has grown to feature over 100 businesses,” he says, adding that to date, the three events held at the Bugolobi-based MoTIV space in Kampala have brought in more than 124 businesses and connected them to over 400 customers.

Ms Mitchelle  Alwedo, a poet, is still amazed by the potential Omwoleso has for makers.

““At first, I was skeptical about selling poetry at a marketplace because of the nature of this art. To my surprise, my poetry has been a hit. I have sold 44 cards so far and it is just midday,” Ms Alwedo reveals, noting that her customers are now asking for access to her electronic poetry book.

She happily speaks about marketing online rather than waiting for the monthly event to showcase her product; which is a supplement to her sales.

“The link enables makers to showcase their products every day to a market beyond Uganda,” she explains.

During the launch, the online platform attracted several creatives to sign-up to expand their network beyond Uganda.

Within the platform, makers at The Innovation Village in Jinja, Mbarara and Gulu can exhibit their products without travelling to Kampala for the physical event.

However, last month, they included e-commerce aspects for the creatives through a massive digital platform dubbed Omwoleso.africa to give entrepreneurs an opportunity to further sell their artisanal products, interact/network with potential customers both locally and internationally. 

Cost sharing

Mr Spencer notes that for a vendor to showcase their products on the site,  a fee of Shs15,000 per month is charged.

“If one owns a business, we earn from the sale on the digital platform. For instance, if a vendor makes sales worth Shs300,000 on the platform,  it is a 4 per cent share of revenue,” Mr Spencer  explains.

This is about Shs120,000.

The digital platform has grown since it started.

“In six weeks since the launch, we have seen tremendous growth in the number of businesses on the platform. Our focus in these early days is on equipping the businesses on the platform with the skills to sell their products,” he explains.

He adds that it is critical that the Micro, Small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) they work with have an affordable digital platform on which they can sell their products, especially in these difficult times.

Due to the Covid-19 second wave, this month’s show will be done on the digital platform. However, if everything normalises, the physical market place will regain its stand.