Co-Founders, Siyanda Mkhabela and Sisa Mkhize, elaborate on the birth and way forward for Tawoh.
The two met and started talking in 2020 when they realised that they had similar interests in the kind of business they were looking into. Siyanda was already working on a brand of his own, The Amazing World of Henry, which Sisa was to be a part of, but conversations on the concept of Tawoh arose. It was not long after that they solidified their ideas and Tawoh was born.
ABOUT OUR FOUNDERS
Both individuals come from warm upbringings, with supportive families that taught them the importance of hard work and personal ambition. Sisa dabbled in the creative industry in high school with his love for Art & Music, while Siyanda was set on photography from a young age.
Siyanda spent years quietly perfecting his photography, being part of the photography club, and being present at every event he could attend, while Sisa leaned more toward the influential side and made the effort to be a part of every creative competition held by the schools he attended. So, while Siyanda was finding his way around a camera, and capturing every moment he could, Sisa was at the forefront of competitions. That said, it’s safe to say that the roles the two found themselves in, in high school have shaped the roles they play in the current running of Tawoh.
BEHIND THE MISSION OF THE COMPANY
Tawoh was established in 2021 and the core idea was that content production in Africa had the potential to be something unique. Both Sisa and Siyanda are passionate about content creation, with a core belief that it should be at a higher quality.
“Countries in Africa have such rich history, which we can integrate. Look, our country has many struggles, yet the music is great. When we make music, we draw from something unique to us which many listeners may want to engage with. Why can't we do that with our startups' content?"
- Co-Founder, Sisa Mkhize
Sisa very passionately elaborated on the creative potential African countries have, but don’t utilise. He further stated that it was primarily because people are not shown how to produce the content, with or without a tight budget.
THE VISION
Tawoh wants to elevate small to medium-sized businesses by producing high-quality content at affordable prices.
“Small businesses should produce really good content so that they can be at the forefront of their markets, ” Sisa commented, when asked about the main target audience of Tawoh.
“Elevation of content is really important in our country. It’s not an option anymore. We don’t want people to look at and support products and services out of pity – we want them to buy and support because they actually appreciate the work as good and tangible products and services. People must buy something because it is good and quality”.
When asked about hopes of expanding, the two responded that the big idea was to be in every major city in South Africa. They are hoping to expand to Durban by the end of the year to meet and connect with more people and their businesses. Siyanda further added that they wanted to first solidify the foundations of the business before expanding to all parts of South Africa & Africa. “A solid foundation is key. We want to know what to do when we get out there."
A DIFFCULT PATH
Like every start-up business, Tawoh had its fair share of challenges. From inconsistent engagement and funding, to storage, and hard drive issues. In spite of these, Tawoh has worked hard to overcome them and is still overcoming them. The two told us that they don’t let the challenges stop them – they find ways to overcome the challenges.
Despite their upbringings, both Siyanda and Sisa agree that successes in life are based on mindset and how badly you want it.
“Upbringing has a part to play, but it's not a set factor - it's about how badly you want it. It's about remembering why you are doing what you do and how strong your desire to achieve that goal is."
- Co-Founder, Siyanda Mkhabela on whether upbringing has anything to do with success.
A MESSAGE TO THEIR AUDIENCE
Tawoh would like their audience to know that something great and unique is in the making. While it will take some time to materialise, both Siyanda and Sisa ensure that it will be worth the wait. And that without the continuous support of the audience, there wouldn’t be a Tawoh to build.
Really great article, look forward to seeing what Tawoh becomes in the future. Brilliantly written by the author. Would love to know who it is.