Zillah Moorcroft, who describes herself as a crazy, creative entrepreneur, started Crazy Cow Leatherware in 2017.
“What started out as something fun, making simple leather sling bags and selling them to the local ladies in Gqeberha turned into a crazy passion making all types of leather things.
“Who doesn’t love a leather bag? A bag that is authentic, practical and doesn’t cost the price of a whole cow. That was the idea!
“Having a background in interior design and fashion — I consider myself an unconventional creative, I love leather and I don’t sit well in a box.
“Mixing the elements and creating crazy cool stuff is my thing.”
The former Victoria Girls’ High pupil had always wanted to one day run her own business.
“After studying, I opened my first fashion hub [PLUSH, at Walmer Park] in 2006 — a mini YDE-type [Young Designers’ Emporium] concept store where local PE designers came together to sell their goods.
“It started off as a great idea and lots of fun, but the challenges soon started to creep in.
“Retail is tough, especially on small businesses in big shopping malls — the high rentals and overheads were just not sustainable for us.
“Load-shedding came in hard during December of 2010, which really hit us and then the recession in 2012 eventually prompted us to close our doors in 2013.
“It was also quite a challenge running a business and being a mom — it was definitely time to move on and breathe a little.
“I then embraced the “homemaker” lifestyle for a short period and helped out with the family business [Stormberg Foods] promoting products to various retail markets.
“I loved what I was doing but my creativity was still calling me, which led to the start-up of my side hustle — Crazy Cow!
“My husband had the idea to open up business in North Carolina in 2015, so after many trips to the States in 2016 and 2017, he found a suitable premises to start up Stormberg Foods USA and the big American dream began.
“After commuting back and forth, we decided to move in June 2019 and make Goldsboro North Carolina our base but would keep all our other businesses running in SA.
“So we packed up our daughter and two dogs and made the big move across.
“It was a huge move which came with many challenges — only for the brave!
“It has been three years now and we are moving along nicely.
“Otherwise, the hustle continues every day here and I have learnt to embrace the opportunity.
“I still yearn for my beloved SA, but am lucky enough to get to travel back home often for business and to visit friends and family.
How old is your business?
It is five years old.
What is your core service?
Simply stated, we create the best handcrafted leather goods around.
What makes your business unique?
We are Crazy Cow.
Competitive pricing — we are considerate in our pricing and only want to offer a genuine, honest price.
One-of-a-kind — we are in our own totally cool class and all our products are a special kinda crazy, limited only by our own creativity.
Worldly workmanship — we offer only the best, high-quality leather goods, meticulously handcrafted and not mass produced, from the finest fullgrain local leather sourced in SA.
If someone wanted to copy your business model, how would they start?
They would need to be brave and have a good backup team.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced before getting your business off the ground?
Sourcing suitable and sustainable leather from local tanneries/suppliers in SA and finding skilled local leather artisans in the field, who are as scarce as hens’ teeth.
Do you have any tips for budding entrepreneurs?
Be passionate, have a plan, create a great team, drink lots of caffeine and be a little crazy.
What are some of the biggest challenges in your day-to-day business operations, and your particular industry?
Load-shedding.
What is the best advice anyone gave you on success?
My former school headmaster, Trevor Long, said: “The more you put in — the more you get out.” I’ve carried that in my back pocket ever since I left school.
How do you measure or define success in your business?
Customer satisfaction — the ability to satisfy our customers to such a degree that they buy from us rather than someone else, that they buy again and bring their friends is the key determinant in growth and profitability.
What are some of the best practices that have made your business successful?
Simplicity, honesty and consistently meeting customers’ expectations.
What kind of advertising do you do?
WOM — Big on word-of-mouth, and digital marketing.
What is your company’s vision?
To keep it fun, simple, real and affordable.
What is your target market?
Our products are created for all those bold on-the-go types who embrace spontaneity and enjoy life, men and women aged 25-50+ who are looking for unique, practical and quality leather goods.
What have some of your highlights been in running your business?
Connecting with awesome customers who in turn have become great friends.
Finally having enough funds to put a great e-commerce website together and becoming a seller on Takealot at the end of last year.
How important is social media and an online presence for your business?
It is an essential part of our business. Our core sales are done through it.
How many people do you employ?
We are a team of five.
Do you have any plans for expanding the business, and how would you go about this?
Becoming a global player is definitely the plan and we are busy putting steps in place to scale our production team first.
How did you acquire funding for the business?
Self-funded.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt from your business journey so far?
The hustle is real.
What have been the greatest challenges and advantages of running your business in a city like Gqeberha?
The cost of living and running a business in Gqeberha is definitely less expensive than other bigger cities.
The people are friendly and very helpful in our community. We also have some great creative talent.
What do you believe are the three key traits of a successful entrepreneur?
CPR — creativity, passion, risk-taking.
What do believe are the key traits of a successful employer?
GAP — growth, appreciation, positivity.
What do you wish people knew about your industry?
It is a very specialised craft, both artistic and industrious.
HeraldLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it’s quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
