Ann's Story

I am a Karoo person, born and bred here. I am married to a sheep farmer, and have spent my whole life on a farm. I considered starting a business on our farm to give employment to the people who were not employed in the farming setup.

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In 1983, one of the young laborers on the farm, was put off work because of ill health. We put our brains together and came up with an idea. With my financial help and advice, we started making leather sandals and a Greek type of shoe. Sales started taking off and soon his family and friends were included in the production line. Our local craft shop, Agora came into being at this time and sales were good but as our products only sold in Summer, we had to decide on a product that would sell in the Winter to keep our workers occupied.



As luck would have it, a lady from Zimbabwe visited our shop and mentioned that she had made slippers out of sheep skin and tobacco twine, and thus, we designed the "Snuggies Slipper". The Winter sales took off, income was generated, my worker’s confidence grew and a sense of prosperity abounded. I financed this project without assistance and received a fair return on my investment, but the real satisfaction came from the work I provided, for the people who would otherwise have had no employment or income. I believe that the faith shown in desiring to make a difference, is what has allowed the business survive and flourish.


 

Ann has now retired in Bloemfontein where her daughter, Gaynor, has taken over the business. 

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We no longer make the sandals and shoes, but the “Snuggies” live on, and are sold in many parts of South Africa. Our product range is supplemented by a Travel Slipper and Innersoles (made of sheepskin – and are extremely popular in the cold Winters). 



Buy a pair of Snuggies today, and its the only kind of shoe you'll ever want to wear!