From prison walls to own business

WILLEM February is living proof that starting from the bottom means the only way to go is up.

The proud owner of W. February Upholstery started out with very little and now boasts a successful business, employs 17 young Namibians and is able to give back to the community.When he arrived in Windhoek from the North in 1976, he was unable to speak a word of English or Afrikaans and eventually turned to theft, a choice which led to his arrest. While serving a two and a half year prison sentence, February learned English and Afrikaans, and also picked up skills in tailoring.Upon his release, February found work in an upholstery shop as a tailor, and it was there that he learnt how to upholster and build furniture.He decided to open his own business in 1994, but struggled to find finance.’No one would give me a loan.’ he reminisces, ‘so I was working from my home in Katutura. I used my bed as a table, and I only had one [sewing] machine.’February got his break when a client who worked for Eros Airport was so impressed by the re-upholstery job done on his car that he offered February workshop space in one of the airport’s plane hangers. The larger premises meant that February could take on more work, and he eventually saved up enough money to purchase more equipment.With the help of friends, February learned the basic bookkeeping and business administration skills necessary to run his business. In 1998, he opened his own workshop in Prosperita in a rented building, but dreamed of owning his own property …and in 2008, his dream came true when he purchased a house in Northern Industries, the current headquarters of W. February Upholstery.Despite his success, February remembers where he came from and how difficult it was to achieve what he did. Helping those less fortunate than him is one of his priorities, and he gives back to the community time and time again. He supplies women in Brakwater with baking ingredients to make vetkoek, helping them to become self-sufficient, and even gave his old home to a needy family.’There’s a lot of rich men with houses in Katutura, but they don’t use them. And there are some people without a roof or food,’ he laments. ‘When we die, we leave everything. Why do people want to keep everything for themselves?’Perhaps one of his greatest contributions to the community is his commitment to hiring young staff and providing them with invaluable vocational training. He hopes to expand the business so as to employ as many people as possible, alleviating poverty.In addition to upholstering every conceivable item – car seats, plane seats, mattresses and even wheelchairs – February and his employees also build and sell one-of-a-kind furniture, and provide interior decorating services.ndapwa@namibian.com.na