History
"Start small, spend little, work hard, and never give up." Lauren Weaver
In 1991, Lauren Weaver began her entrepreneurial journey selling t-shirts to afford disposable nappies for her first child. Starting from a small garage with a noisy tin roof, Lauren faced countless challenges, including not being able to hear herself or her clients on the phone when it rained. Her “door” was a black plastic bag, which kept both her and the t-shirts dry.
With unwavering determination, hard work, and countless cold calls, Lauren gradually built a loyal customer base. Soon, the garage overflowed into the living room, and family visits became an obstacle course of boxes.
In 1996, Lauren formed a partnership with Tradelink, her now long-time supplier. Their shared skills—her expertise in marketing and sales, and their manufacturing capabilities—proved to be a perfect match. This collaboration led to the founding of Tradelink Cape Town in April 1996. The business rapidly expanded, relocating to a 150 m² warehouse in Pinelands.
As growth continued, so did the need for more space. Tradelink Cape Town moved to a 750 m² warehouse in Maitland. With ongoing success, the company upgraded to a 1,350 m² warehouse in Kensington Industrial Park—setting the stage for even greater expansion under the leadership of their trusted manager, Malcolm.
In 2000, Lauren’s business journey took a new direction with the opening of Tradelink’s Windhoek location, led by the incredible Osvaldo. The business continued to evolve in 2010, when Lauren took over the Port Elizabeth distribution, creating Aprospex in Gqeberha with the dependable Daniel at the helm.
In 2018, the company introduced in-house branding services, giving customers a one-stop-shop experience.
What Lauren finds most rewarding is that many of her very first clients are still with her today. Over the years, she’s had the privilege of working with incredible people across Cape Town, Gqeberha, and Namibia.
Her advice for fellow entrepreneurs? "Start small, spend little, work hard, and never give up."