Uniforms for a new business: what to order, and what it costs

Last updated 30 September 2026. Prices are from BMC Manufacturing’s published price list on that date and are indicative — they vary with fabric, quantity and specification.

Somebody just signed a lease, hired their first few people and set a launch date. Then comes the question nobody budgeted for: what do the staff wear?

This guide is for the owner or operations manager kitting out a team for the first time. It covers what to order first, how to size people you have not fully hired, what “minimum order” honestly means, and a worked example for 12 people. BMC Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd makes staff uniforms in Doornfontein, Johannesburg, so we have an interest in the answer. Where a shop-bought shirt is the better call, we say so.

What should a new business order first?

One branded layer for every person, and nothing else until it arrives. One embroidered golfer worn by everyone does more for your image than four unbranded garments in four colours.

Here is the trap. A new owner orders a shirt, a jacket, a cap and a hoodie for the launch, spends the whole budget, and finds that half the sizes are wrong and the logo sits too low. Now there are four garments to fix instead of one.

The order that works for most small teams is simple. Golfer first. A jacket for the people who meet customers. A second set once you know the first survives a month of washing. Caps and extras last.

What does it cost to kit out a 12-person team?

About R3 600 for one golfer each, and about R6 150 if three front-of-house staff also get a jacket, on our September 2026 list. That is before any discount, because 12 people sits below our 100-unit bulk band.

Prices may vary based on specific requirements, and the written quote is the firm number. Embroidery setup for your logo is a separate once-off item, so ask for it to be shown on its own line.

The round neck (R250) and the bird-eye golfer (R300) come from our Industrial & PPE panel, and the staff jacket (R850) from Staff & Corporate. All are on the price estimator on our home page.

How do you size a team you have not fully hired yet?

Order for the people who have started, and keep a size sheet for the rest. Guessing sizes for staff you have not met is how a new business ends up with a box of shirts that fit nobody.

• Measure the real people. Use a size sheet with chest and height, not “medium” from memory.
• Add a small buffer in the middle sizes only if your hiring is certain. Do not buy a spare of every size.
• Keep the sheet. When the next person starts, you send one line: name, size, garment.
• Ask who holds the pattern. A manufacturer that keeps your logo file and pattern can add a few garments later without a new project.

That last point is the real reason to buy from a maker. Top-ups are quick because we cut and sew in our own workshop and hold the pattern, so adding two shirts for new starters is a short run.

What is the minimum order for staff uniforms?

There is no fixed public minimum at BMC Manufacturing — we quote per job. That is the formal answer. The honest answer is about what is economical.

A run of 12 carries the same embroidery setup as a run of 120, so each garment bears more of it. Our discount bands start at 100 units, with better rates at 250 and 500. A small team should budget at list price and treat the setup as a one-off.

If you need three plain shirts by Friday and do not care about branding, a shop is probably faster and cheaper. A manufacturer earns its place when you want matching, branded kit you can reorder.

Should a new business embroider or print its logo?

Embroider what people wear every day; print what you hand out. Embroidery is stitched into the fabric and lasts as long as the garment. Print sits on the surface and wears sooner with repeated washing.

The trade-off is setup. Embroidery needs your logo digitised once, and that is a once-off cost rather than a per-garment one. The estimator on our home page shows indicative per-garment branding add-ons of R20 for screen print, R35 for an embroidered badge and R45 for full-colour print, and it does not show a setup fee. Ask for that line in your quote.

One more thing worth knowing. Your logo file should be yours. Ask any supplier, us included, who holds the digitised file and whether you can have it if you move.

What mistakes cost a second production run?

Three mistakes account for most reruns: the wrong logo file, the wrong sizes, and no reorder plan. All three are avoidable before a single garment is cut.

• A low-resolution logo. Send the original vector file, or tell us you only have a photo and we will say what can be done.
• Sizes taken from memory, then found wrong on delivery day.
• A fabric or colour that cannot be repeated. Ask whether the same fabric will be available next year.
• No written lead time. Any supplier’s turnaround moves with their load, so get the date on the quote rather than in a phone call.

If you are in Johannesburg you can come and look at the fabric in Doornfontein before you commit. Our Corporate & PPE page shows the range, and the gallery shows real orders from our own floor. If your team works in a workshop, our mechanic overalls buyer’s guide covers what to put on technicians.

Common questions