Man with Down’s syndrome starts a business fueled by his passion for confetti

Dave Schmidt only launched his business on Sunday but has already received an overwhelming response from supporters and media outlets across South Africa.

Image: Facebook/Dave’s Shop SA

A 30-year-old man with Down’s syndrome recently opened his own confetti business, called Dave’s Shop.

Since his business opened on Sunday, Dave Schmidt has sold over 500 handfuls of confetti, he told TimesLIVE.

Dave’s Shop caters to an array of events, from weddings to birthdays, and his confetti packages can be ordered online. His sister Robyn manages the business’s finances and online presence, while his parents manage his confetti stock.

His love for confetti was realised after he helped out at his sister-in-law Derryn Schmidt’s bridal company.

When Derryn saw Dave’s love for confetti, she and a friend helped him start his very own business to help them provide confetti for weddings.

Just after starting Dave’s business, Derryn said that he would cut up piles of confetti that would end up being taller than him. This is when his family realised that his passion for confetti, colours, and spreading joy could be turned into a business and that a wider market for confetti beyond weddings was plausible.

Dave’s passions included playing putt-putt in his room, watching soap operas or wrestling, playing with his niece, spending time with family, and taking care of his dogs. His confetti business fit in perfectly with his hobbies, explained Derryn, because while he watched soapies or wrestling, he could cut confetti.

Derryn added that Dave didn’t care much for the money he’d made or the amount of followers he had on social media platforms. He just loved to make beautiful confetti pieces and wanted to visit his sister in Cape Town. But most of all, he wanted to share his confetti and happiness with South Africa.

His business has garnered interest from publications across the country, including Good Things Guy and TimesLIVE, and even landed an interview on East Coast Radio.