Tweet

African Path Interview with Sandstorm Kenya

Written by: Benin Mwangi

Article Overview: For those of you who have not yet had a chance to read this interview, I highly recommend that you do it. The interview is between Joshua Wanyama, Editor of African Path and Keith Steel, owner of apparel maker Sandstorm Kenya.

African Path Interview with Sandstorm Kenya

For those of you who have not yet had a chance to read this interview, I highly recommend that you do it. The interview is between Joshua Wanyama, Editor of African Path and Keith Steel, owner of apparel maker Sandstorm Kenya.

What I enjoyed about the interview is that it may have pointed out where Kenya’s competitive advantage lies amongst her global competitors.

Here is an excerpt:

“…Around 95% of all bag and accessories manufacturing comes from China,” Keith says. “We are proud of the fact that everything that goes into our bags are from Kenya. We support Kenya, the Kenyan heritage and its people. The whole operation in Kenya is run and operated by Simon Mwangi, our very strong and able manager. All our employees are Kenyans. This is a commitment that we will continually uphold as we grow Sandstorm.”

“Sandstorm in no ordinary Kenyan company and neither is its owner Keith Steel. The rich heritage that the company embodies is a direct reflection of Keith. While Sandstorm is a relatively young company, Keith has managed to create a mature brand that conjures a romantic image of Africa. That of Indiana Jones battling through tough terrain while on safari seeking to conquer new lands. Wading through rivers in the jungle or crawling through the African bush. Keith says, “We are a safari-lifestyle brand and people expect the highest quality on our products. This shouldn’t be confused with luxury. Our customers are those with active lifestyles seeking lasting quality. They love the outdoors, care for the environment and appreciate authentic products.”

Keith has a great love of Africa since his childhood in Kenya. He loves nature and the abundant wildlife in Africa. His love has extended to nature conservation. Sandstorm has developed a relationship with Lewa Wildlife Conservancy located on the Laikipia Plains in Northern Kenya. The conservancy aims to conserve wildlife, educate people, work with local and international governments and change people’s attitudes towards development. Sandstorm donates a portion of every bag sold to Lewa…”

This to me brings out something that I have observed within the last three years and it is a global phenomena. This would be the successful cross-over positioning of high end product manufactures have somehow managed of late. Both into the minds of the bargain conscious consumers and to the conspicuous consumers who demand that their labels convey opulence. I think that Sandstorm Kenya is a powerful embodiment of that concept.

And think about it, can a small country like Kenya compete with an economic giant like China on price alone? Hmmm….But when you add the hand made, attention to detail piece and couple that with the relatively low prices, oh-you’ve got a real winner. After all Kenyan made goods may not be priced as low as China’s but compared to goods made in the UK or in the USA, they are still a bargain.

Now as far as I am aware compared with her close neighbors south of Ethiopia and north of South Africa, Kenya has a very strong manufacturing edge. So this manufacturing example may not neatly translate into a model for other countries in Africa, but perhaps if you took the same concept and applied it to other areas it would make sense. Like let’s say agriculture, IT, tourism, and or any other industry where the low price only gets you the automated and “hands off” production approach by other nations, then many of Africa’s countries who already produce those types of items might have a powerful advantage. Get my drift?

Related Articles
  East African entrepreneurs need a level playing field in the new Common Market
  Farewell from Benin Mwangi
  Cheetah Index to Premiere Soon!
  Why I Decided to Start my Company
  5.1 The results vary by diversification regime: Economic Report on Africa 2007

Article Tags: Africa, Joshua Wanyama Editor, Keith Steel, Keith While Sandstorm, Kenya, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, manufacturing, manufacturing, Northern Kenya, Sandstorm, Sandstorm Kenya, Sandstorm Kenya, Sandstorm Sandstorm, Simon Mwangi



Related Forum Posts
What do you do to give back? - I'm launching new section of the site for social entrepreneurship and our first category is going to be called African Accounts. The goal with the project is to raise awareness of African entrepreneurs and showcase that entrepreneurship can be the path to achieving sustainable development. This has always been a passion of mine and I have done a number of talks around the world on this subject so I'm excited to bring it online as well. We have recruited some of the top bloggers in the world who focus on African entrepreneurship and are preparing additional resources. I believe that a big part of running a business is being socially responsible and giving back - even if it's donating your time to an organization or small amounts of money or products. You don't have to be mega-successful to make a difference. What are some of the things you are doing to give back to the community around you?
Re: How will an african make money truely on the net? - Is it possible for an African business to set up an "offshore" account in the US or England... or even Switzerland... where all monies are paid? And a trusted agent there, who gets a percentage of any money, can then take that money from paypal and wire it or mail it or whatever to an African bank? There are lots of countries in Africa, is this a problem in all of them? Seems like an internet entrepreneur who can set up a "Paypal" like company of their own might be able to make money on this... ? Course you'd need governmental contacts...
Re: New forum - online businesses! - Thanks Evan for this great Interview and I will be pleased to be part of the new forum on online businesses!
Re: How will an african make money truely on the net? - [quote="OmnivoreInk":koqfopnc]Is it possible for an African business to set up an "offshore" account in the US or England... or even Switzerland... where all monies are paid? And a trusted agent there, who gets a percentage of any money, can then take that money from paypal and wire it or mail it or whatever to an African bank? There are lots of countries in Africa, is this a problem in all of them? Seems like an internet entrepreneur who can set up a "Paypal" like company of their own might be able to make money on this... ? Course you'd need governmental contacts...[/quote:koqfopnc] Hi Topeyinka I don't know what products you sell, but if they are digital how about selling them through Clickbank. They will handle the sale for you and will send you cheques on the money you have earned. MichelleJ
Adventure travel to Africa. - Africa is a place where adventure is taking place. If you are a travel who loves adventure, nature, culture you should visit Africa. Safari Village operator is a .leading tour operator in Kenya who are offering marvelous tour packages to Africa. Saffari Villages Online is a trusted name for africa travel.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Tips to Take Control of Credit Card Debt

Building a Business From 30,000 Feet

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.