#MakingIt – Entrepreneur gives back

Ms Phumzile Mthethwa is a woman of many talents and is an expert in all of them.

This self employed mother forges a living out of the use of her hands.

Ms Phumzile Mthethwa plans to make shoes for orphans at Tembisa orphanages.

The benefactress is a song writer, producer and a Gospel musician.

This self-taught clothing designer said a fashion bug bit her when she was only 12.

“I remember a dress I made in grade two for a school project.

“It looked so perfect and the teacher refused to accept it, thinking that somebody may have made it for me. She wanted to punish me and lucky enough my classmates witnessed me making the dress. They vouched for me and I received a 100 percent mark for it,” said Ms Mthethwa.

She said she adores beautiful clothes and that is what drew her into designing.

Her focus at the moment is knitting.

Ms Mthwethwa knits almost every garment using wool.

“I make scarves, suits, shoes, short trousers, waist coats, bedding covers, dresses for wedding events and more,” she said.

This former telecommunications employee left her job in 2014 to start her shoe making business, which was a challenge due to a lack of finance for material procurement.

She said as a single mother, the business helped in taking her daughter through school.

“I raised my child alone and ask myself – What about about the children who do not have parents? That is what inspired the project to make shoes for children without parents.

“I am calling out to sponsors to lend a helping hand by partnering, providing wool or funding the project of making a pair of boots for each orphan for winter,” said Ms Mthethwa.

This optimistic businesswoman hopes to supply her products to big retail stores one day and own a factory to create jobs.

Ms Mthethwa said she is organising a DVD of her gospel music album, the proceeds of which will be used towards the shoes for orphans project.

Willing sponsors can contact Ms Phumzile Mthethwa on 079 709 3077.

#MakingIt