Today, if there is anything that has the potential to put your business out there and connect you to people from all over, its social media. Those that have made use of it have not regretted it, especially with the rise (and power) of hashtags—which make it easy for others to trace your brand, and so forth.
A few weeks back, I saw a tweet by the British High Commissioner to Rwanda, Omar Daair, in which he shared photos of himself dressed in a Made-in-Rwanda long-sleeved shirt, with a blend of cream and dark blue in the fabric and a touch of local designs. In his post, he gave recognition to the young upcoming fashion enthusiasts who had dressed him, a clothing and branding store dubbed "F and Y Universal Printing” located in Chic building in town.
"Thank you to the talented people @f_printing
for this cool #MadeinRwanda shirt. I really like it! And it’s always great to meet energised and ambitious young Rwandans,” the tweet stated, concluded with the hashtags #shoplocal #Rwanda
His tweet attracted positive views and comments from followers who admired how sophisticated he looked. I, like many others, was intrigued, and wanted to know more about the gifted hands behind the apparel.
Building a brand
F and Y Universal Printing is owned by 26-year-old Yanick Ishimwe and it deals in printing on t-shirts and manufacturing clothing for men and women. This is one of the many businesses that started in the presence of the Covid-19 outbreak.
While studying at Jiangsu University in China in 2018, Ishimwe and his roommate (Franck Musuil) sought an occupation to keep them busy after classes as they studied for about three to four hours a day. Ishimwe was pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in computer science and technology, while his colleague, electrical engineering. The name of the company was derived from their initials.
Some of his designs on display.
The business partners agreed to start printing services, basically designing t-shirts with words or pictures. Ishimwe says that they started with two printing machines which cost about Rwf 400,000, but they couldn’t afford that amount at the time so it was borrowed from friends as they put some savings aside for six months.
Unfortunately, he says, the business was bringing in very little money, and it couldn’t even cater for their rent. After about a year, considering the business wasn’t making enough money, was time-consuming, and students in China were apparently not allowed to work, they shut it down.
In 2020 when Covid-19 hit, Ishimwe thought of selling the machines to get money to use when back in Rwanda. One of his friends discouraged him from selling them and told him that he might need them in the future.
On reaching Rwanda, his goal wasn’t to look for a job but to start his own company. And so he started printing afresh.
"The machines were too small to do a lot of work. I was financially down, so I would ask for loans from friends and family with an interest rate of 30 per cent, expected to pay back in less than a month. I suggested the high-interest rate just to persuade them to lend me money often,” Ishimwe says.
At the start, he had Rwf 200,000 and borrowed Rwf 400,000, thus starting the business with a capital of Rwf 600,000 which he used to import t-shirts from China. However, little did he know that the materials he imported were in Rwanda as well—and cheaper. And so he started buying them locally.
Yannick Ishimwe, CEO of F and Y Universal Printing
He notes that he was determined to invest the little profits he made in the business, and in February 2021, he started manufacturing both men and women’s apparel and sandals.
He explains that in 2021, the company was operating from home since he didn’t have money to rent. However, social media platforms played a role in marketing the products, and he got more buyers.
Ishimwe believes that the company could have been more established if it hadn’t started during the pandemic, as he probably could have found investors. Nevertheless, he is happy he isn’t in the same position he started. He currently works with a team of 15 people, five permanent and 10 temporary.
Ishimwe says that in order to attract customers, he had to lower prices, compared to other competitors. He believes that instead of having two or three clients a day with high prices, he would rather have 20 or more at fair prices.
"We do both cheap and high-quality materials though some people think cheap is fake, which isn’t the case with us,” he says. He is certain that staying dedicated and loyal to his customers has pushed them forward. For instance, when he takes their measurements and agrees on a specific date and time to pick the attire, he makes sure he respects that. Ishimwe also gives small gifts to clients, such as chocolate, after buying, just to encourage them to come back.
He anticipates manufacturing kids’ clothing and also making African suits, and exporting to Africa and beyond.
His prices range from Rwf2, 000 and above for printing, Rwf 20,000 to 25, 000 for blazers, Rwf22, 000 to 30, 000 for men’s shirts, Rwf20, 000 to 40,000 for dresses, and Rwf Rwf12,000 for sandals.