Startup Story
Exclusive Crochet is a crafts-based start-up founded by Benedita Macuácua in Mozambique. An entrepreneur and graphic designer, her company specializes in creating sustainable products using recycled materials such as knitted yarn, fabric scraps, and recycled soles. The company was inspired by the need to combat the accumulation of rubbish in Maputo, transforming solid waste into durable, quality crochet pieces. Benedita’s focus with her business is on the circular economy and promoting conscious consumption, offering a variety of products such as flip-flops, bags, beach cover-ups, and other items, each carrying a unique story and an artistic design that impresses with its beauty and positive environmental impact.
Exclusive Crochet é uma startup de artesanato fundada por Benedita Macuácua, Empreendedora e Design Gráfica, a empresa é especializada em criar produtos sustentáveis utilizando materiais reciclados como fios de malha e restos de tecidos e solas recicladas. A empresa foi inspirada pela necessidade de combater o acúmulo de lixo em Maputo, transformando resíduos sólidos em peças de crochê duráveis e de qualidade. O foco está na economia circular e na promoção de um consumo consciente, oferecendo uma variedade de produtos como chinelos, bolsas, saídas de praia e outros itens, cada um carregando uma história única e um design artístico que impressiona pela sua beleza e impacto ambiental positivo.
LoA spoke to Benedita Macuácua to learn more about her entrepreneurial journey, her passion for the circular economy, and her vision for the future.
What does your company do?
Production of handmade crochet items using thread and needle with knitted yarn and recycled solid waste. Our items include slippers, bags, purses, clothing items, and other personalized items according to our customers' wishes.
Produção de artigos artesanais em crochê usando linha e agulha com fios de malha, resíduos sólidos reciclados. Os nossos artigos são: chinelos, sacolas, bolsas, peças de roupas, e outros artigos personalidos de acordo com a pretenção dos nossos clientes.
“The company was inspired by the need to combat waste accumulation by transforming recycled solid waste into durable, quality crochet pieces.”
“What gives me the most satisfaction as an entrepreneur is the fact that I can create employment for myself and other people, generating income for our families.”
What inspired you to start your company?
Since I was little, I had already made several crochet pieces as part of my hobby. Years after becoming an adult, I noticed that the city of Maputo is characterized by the accumulation of rubbish and trash cans scattered throughout each neighborhood, thus causing illnesses, contamination, and environmental pollution. To reduce this impact, Exclusive Crochet was created, an innovative idea that brings together art, recycled solid waste, cotton threads, and needles, giving life to new products full of meaning and made with the precepts of the circular economy. In this action, women with skilled hands transform solid waste recycled by seasonal groups, using threads and needles, delivering various personalized products to society such as slippers, shoes, bags, market bags, baskets and others.
Desde pequena, Benedita já fazia várias peças de crochê como parte do seu hobbie, anos depois de tornar-se adulta, notou que a cidade de Maputo está caracterizada por vários acúmulos de lixos e lixeiras espalhados em cada bairro, causando assim doenças, contaminação, e poluição do meio ambiente. De modo a reduzir este impacto, surge a Exclusive Crochet, uma ideia inovadora que junta a arte, resíduos sólidos reciclados, linhas de algodão e agulhas, dando vida para novos produtos repletos de significados e confeccionados com os preceitos da economia circular. Nesta ação, mulheres com habilidades das mãos, transformam os resíduos sólidos reciclados por grupos sazonais, usando fios e agulhas entregando para a sociedade produtos diversos como chinelos, sapatos, bolsas, sacolas para mercado, cestos e outros personalizados.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
The company was inspired by the need to combat waste accumulation by transforming recycled solid waste into durable, quality crochet pieces.
A empresa foi inspirada pela necessidade de combater o acúmulo de lixo transformando resíduos sólidos reciclados em peças de crochê duráveis e de qualidade.
Tell us a little about your team:
My team at the moment is made up of 5 employees, 3 of whom are women and 2 men. We have 2 models, 1 artisan, 1 designer, and 1 shoemaker who perform all their functions effectively, making the company grow more and more.
A minha Equipa no momento é formada por 5 colaboradores, dos quais, 3 são mulheres e 2 homens, onde contamos com 2 modelos 1 artesã, 1 design e 1 sapateiro que desempenham todos suas funções de forma eficaz fazendo com que a Empresa cresça cada vez mais.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
At the beginning of the journey, all our focus was on obtaining profits and gains only, until we realized the importance of generating value in the lives of our customers and also for our country through the products we offer. For this reason, we decided to be part of the solution, without pollution, making our contribution by producing handcrafted pieces that sustainably add value, using the circular economy method. Today, all the products we offer are ecologically correct and durable. We have offered our consumers exclusive and handmade products that do not harm the environment.
No início da actividade, todo o nosso foco estava voltado para obtenção de lucros e ganhos somente, até percebermos a importância de gerar valor na vida dos nossos clientes e também para o nosso País através dos produtos que oferecemos, por esta razão decidimos fazer parte da solução, sem poluição, dando o nosso contributo produzindo peças artesanais que agregam valor e de forma sustentável, usando o método da economia circular, hoje, todos os produtos que oferecemos são ecologicamente correctos e duraveis, temos oferecido aos nossos consumidores produtos exclusivos e feitos à mão e que não agridem o meio ambiente.
“Today, all the products we offer are ecologically correct and durable. We have offered our consumers exclusive and handmade products that do not harm the environment.”
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
In the future, we intend to be the brand that, in addition to offering exclusivity, is also known as environmentally friendly. Through our company, we intend to offer more jobs and help our consumers to consume durable and sustainable products.
Futuramente pretendemos ser a marca que além de oferecer exclusividade, também seja conhecida como amiga do ambiente. Pretendemos através da nossa Empresa oferecer mais empregos, e ajudar aos nossos consumidores a consumirem produtos duraveis e sustentáveis.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
What gives me the most satisfaction as an entrepreneur is the fact that I can create employment for myself and other people, generating income for our families.
O que mais me dá satifasção como Empreendedora é o facto de poder proporcionar emprego para mim e outras pessoas gerando renda para as nossas famílias.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
The advice I give to other women who want to open a company is, don't expect to have or meet all the conditions necessary to start your entrepreneurial journey. Start with what you already have, and little by little you will set up your company.
O conselho que deixo para outras mulheres que querem abrir uma Empresa é, não esperem ter ou reunir todas condições que seja necessário para iniciar a sua jornada Empreendedora, comece com o que ja tem, e aos pouco vais montando a sua empresa.
Find out more:
Email: beneditamarlen@gmail.com
Website: https://bverloppescrochetmz.blogspot.com/?view=flipcard
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558455639354&mibextid=ZbWKwL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclusivecrochetmz/
Pinterest: https://pin.it/7gRNavYoH
Why LoA loves it…
Today, the Circular Economy is becoming more and more important, providing a mechanism to create healthier, more sustainable communities, create jobs, and stimulate local economies through green business. Benedita Macuácua is an entrepreneur who understands the opportunities provided by the circular economy in Mozambique, and today she is building her own sustainable business that leverages her passion for crochet. She is a great example of how it’s possible to address environmental challenges through entrepreneurship and harnessing a skill or passion to drive real impact locally. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa