Unique Rarity Handbags and accessories made from responsibly sourced giraffe, springbok, zebra, ostrich and nguni are gaining worldwide recognition with the likes of Princess Mary of Denmark using a Rarity designed and made ostrich leg clutch when she attended the Monaco Royal wedding in 2012. The brainchild of Jaqueline Burge, who has managed to translate her love of Africa into a contemporary product, Rarity Handbags are now exported to more than 12 countries. “It really was a dream of mine to create beautiful and unique products,” says Burge. “I love Africa and its dynamic and vibrant people and I wanted to bring that to life and share it with the world.” And she did. From a small studio at the foot of Table Mountain, the first of its kind in developing hide leather in Cape Town, she has been steadily growing what is today a thriving export business. “We like to question conventional thinking in design and manufacture,” she said. “By creating our own manufacturing concern, Rarity has been able to maintain absolute control of quality, accountability and delivery, all very necessary qualities to succeed in export.” Export was always on the cards for Burge – even in the early days. “My products are designed for the client who wants to carry a beautiful African accessory. And as my skill in manufacture and business increased, so did my ability to target and pursue new markets.” The company’s transport mode of choice is airfreight. “It is more convenient, faster and does less damage to our products than ocean liners,” says Burge. Larger clients have the option of consolidating orders and can use their preferred suppliers to pallet the goods. In these instances Rarity uses packaging sizes based on their requests. “Our exports are consistent and weekly until June, and then restart in August. Our bigger markets at the moment are the USA, and in Europe the UK and the Benelux area. Right now we are targeting Russia and working on expanding our European footprint,” she says. One of the biggest challenges faced, says Burge, is the change in international regulations regarding leather used in the export of products. “We have to adhere to stringent international regulations regarding tanning and colour pigments and our suppliers have to be aware of these regulations at all times, regardless of local regulations,” she says. But establishing international relationships is a costly affair. One has to find resourceful and creative ways to enter new markets, says Burge. “And cost always matters, even with niche market products. We have to make sure our products are being seen by the international buyer, while taking local costs into consideration to ensure we deliver a globally competitive product.” Besides transport costs there are also industry-related costs attached to importing goods. “I have to identify all these costs when designing, pricing and freighting products. Starting at the design phase I want to ensure that the materials used to construct the bag do not add unnecessary and additional weight to the products. Placing hardware in a design must be carefully considered. One needs to question whether the weight is justified against the design advantages,” she says. All essential taking into account that transport costs add 6-30% onto landed goods. Quality and service therefore become paramount when working with high transport figures. Choosing service providers is just as important. “Specific airfreight companies are evaluated according to prices, service and the way they keep us informed on the location and status of our consignments. Reliability and collecting on time are important, they must provide assistance with export documents and they have to be knowledgeable about the markets we are entering and add value to our relationships,” says Burge. “We find we use certain providers for different countries according to the service and support attached to the region, and according to our client profile.” INSERT One of the biggest challenges faced is the change in international regulations regarding leather used in the export of products. – Jaqueline Burge CAPTION Hard at work in the Rarity Handbags factory in Cape Town.
