Cindy Kinnear

What does your company do?

Dear Dawn is a proudly South African local clothing company, everything is locally made. We pride ourselves in making jobs for people from our local community (Mamelodi). We source our fabric from Johannesburg CBD, have it washed at a local laundry, then the Dear Dawn team cuts and sews the items and then we ship it off with the Courier guy all around South Africa. We also constantly work on improving their current skills by teaching them new patterns etc. Dear Dawn has many recurring customers that buy into the heart of the business.

What is your biggest success?

From starting in 2020 with only R1 000, we have managed to build a R900 000 yearly company in under 5 years that is sustainable and independent. Building business is not always easy but having grit and a vision will take you a far way. It gives me so much joy to know this business doesn't only sustain me as the owner but also 3 other families.

What has been your biggest hurdle?

A big hurdle we face is cash flow. As Dear Dawn we have no debt and no credit card. Our one key value is "no debt", however this gets challenging. We have had to learn to manage our money and save in good season for dry seasons like winter, but yes, cash flow is a thing for us.