The variety is so great that you will find Jonsson items in everyday use in many a South African wardrobe. (Photo: Provided)
From restaurant workers and shop staff to construction, factory and office workers. And even the Toyota Gazoo Racing team members who have to face the extreme conditions of the Dakar race for two weeks: Everyone needs robust, comfortable and durable work clothes in which they feel good and can be productive.
And no one understands this better than Nick Jonsson, CEO of Jonsson Workwear, one of South Africa’s best-known clothing brands. This company has achieved compound growth of 20% over the past 25 years, despite the sluggish local economy.
For the past 40 years, Nick has been the driving force behind the company’s quality and growth. In 2000, he repositioned the company to produce high-quality workwear in which workers look and feel good – and renamed it Jonsson Workwear.
Dressed to deliver best
“It does not matter whether workers wear a uniform, office uniform or industrial clothing. Staff must be well dressed. This gives them confidence and empowers them to give their best every day, regardless of the industry they work in,” he says.
The initial focus was on industrial products and corporate clothing, with Spar and Pick n Pay among the first customers. It soon expanded to Wimpy, Mugg&Bean and Dunlop to name but a few. Today, Jonsson Workwear has almost a thousand different products: from T-shirts, caps and dresses, to work jackets, weatherproof and protective equipment and safety shoes.
The variety is so great that you will find Jonsson items in everyday use in many a South African wardrobe.
Design, manufacture, distribution: Everything under one roof
The design of the products, the first cut of the material, the manufacturing, every knot that is sewn, the distribution of products and even the retail stores are all under Jonsson Workwear’s control.
The company has nearly 5,000 workers and 30 stores nationwide, with three more stores opening their doors later this year. The Jonsson factories are in Lesotho and Mauritius and another one is being built in Eswatini. All new products are developed at the prototype factory in Durban.
The materials for the various products come from all over the world and include African countries, China, Thailand, Vietnam and India. Products are distributed to, among others, Namibia, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania and Jonsson has done business in Britain and the USA.
(Photo: Provided)
Once upon a time, long ago…
But Jonsson Workwear’s story began a long time ago, and very differently.
In 1968, Nick’s father, Ben, ran a general trading business where you could find almost anything – from biscuits and cake mixers to batteries and boilermakers’ overalls.
By the late 1970s, they also began supplying women’s fashions to large chain stores. Nick joined the business in the mid-1980s and took over management in the early 1990s. Despite the problems that practically wiped out the country’s clothing and textile industry, the company remained standing and began to form a new vision that is known today as Jonsson Workwear.
Jonsson beats sixes in sports
As a proudly South African company and brand, Jonsson has also been a well-known sports sponsor since 2010 and includes rugby clubs, the Currie Cup and soccer teams, as well as golf tournaments.
A few years ago, the company became involved in motor racing.
“You can imagine the tough conditions for the South African Toyota Gazoo team participating in the Dakar. We are responsible for everything the team members wear. We focus on lighter materials that breathe and wear comfortably. Based on this collaboration, we will now also be involved in Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe.”
South Africa’s T20 cricket series, which attracted an estimated 400,000 spectators this year, is not only a success story for the organizers, but also for the clothing supplier: T20 boss Graeme Smith, every official, commentator and cameraman, organiser, cricketer and support staff member traveling with the teams, have yellow, orange, red, blue or pink clothes bearing the Jonsson Workwear name.
(Photo: Provided)
More classic than fashionable
Nick says that although their products look stylish and classic, they don’t follow fashion trends.
“We make classic products that last, not fashion items that people wear five times and then throw away.”
This is also how the company’s Rethread-initiative came into being, he explains. Less than 13% of textiles are recycled and the rest ends up in South African landfills, an environmental challenge that can no longer be ignored.
Rethread is their free repair service for customers who extend the life of their favorite Jonsson garments by replacing a frayed hem, small hole or broken zipper.
“We make every piece of clothing we sell and can therefore also carry out the repair work. We have the equipment for that. Customers can take the clothing into any Jonsson store and trained workers will quickly determine whether it can be repaired. It is then sent away and a few weeks later the customer can collect it from the store – almost in new condition.”
New ways to wear work clothes
The focus is to constantly improve work clothes for what is needed in the workplace. One such example was moving away from traditional overalls and replacing them with work pants and jackets that serve the same purpose, but are more comfortable.
“We actually perfected that product.”
Nick explains that forty years ago people wore either overalls or formal suits to work. Today there is a wide variety for diverse environments to which Jonsson Workwear must adapt.
For example, think of comfortable “cargo” trousers in the work environment.
(Photo: Provided)
Quality, quality, quality
For Nick, quality is at the heart of the brand.
“Everything we make bears my name. That’s why we are absolutely meticulous about how our products look, how they fit, how they feel and how they wear.”
He says he has a fantastic team of people, but admits on a lighter note: “This is my business and I interfere.
“Yes, I’m obsessed with getting things done right. Because good quality clothes that last, and good service, is how you build a loyal customer base and a successful business.”
