Mfanelo Mabunda says she has loved crocheting since primary school and started using threaded plastic bags to make mats. “I was taught by Euty Mamanyuwa, a childhood friend. We did it for fun, but as time went by, I started using wool and tried to make something out of it.

I started with doll’s clothes, and then hats, and now I make garments for adults as well. I have not yet started a business, I just do it for friends and family, but mostly for myself,” she says. She says that crocheting helps her to keep her mind occupied.

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“Whenever I feel stressed or anxious, I start crocheting, hence I have created a lot of items,” she says with a chuckle. “It is my coping mechanism, especially when it feels that schoolwork becomes too much,” she says. According to her, acquiring enough wool is a challenge.

“Since I am still at school, and doing my matric this year, I never have enough money to buy enough wool,” she says. Mfanelo says her hair bows are very popular. “I would like to teach others as well, as it can help them to start a business and is therapeutic,” she concludes