Umhlali’s sole provider

Tucked away in Umhlali village, between two boarded up retail stores, is the shoe-making shop of Sebastion Mafumo.

The 60-year-old, lifelong Groutville resident has been repairing the area’s shoes since 1965, when, at the tender age of 10, he began helping his father in the same shop he now owns. The smiling shoemaker has been working ten hours a day, six days a week for the past 50 years and has successfully seen the business he inherited from his father thrive.

“My father taught me everything I know, as I worked alongside him for such a long time,” said Mafumo, who has been at the centre of the area’s drastic change over the last five decades.

“I have seen this place change so much over the years. I used to work alongside a thriving butchery and green grocers, and when the train used to pass here regularly, people waiting on the platform would bring me their shoes to repair.”

Mafumo said Umhlali is now much quieter than it used to be, but he has many customers from Ballito and he is always busy with orders.

The hard-working, yet humble cobbler leaves his home in Groutville every morning at 5am so that he can catch his taxi to Umhlali.

“I do two to three pairs at a time, so while one pair is drying, I will be stitching another,” said Mafumo, who added that customer service is what he prides himself on.

“People must always be happy with the work you do. It is important to listen to people and learn from them. If you look after them, they will look after you.”

Mafumo proudly shared that he has two sons – one who is now an architect and the other who works in human resources. Mafumo paid for both of his sons’ education with money earned repairing shoes.

“It was not easy, but you have to work hard for everything in life. When you get one cent, although small, it is your profit, so save it, as every cent counts.”

With 50 years experience repairing shoes and a second-to-none knowledge of the North Coast, Mafumo is as much a part of the area as the many hectares of sugarcane grown all around us. He shared some words of wisdom with the Courier.

“Treasure what you have, because now there are so few jobs around. Those who laughed at gardeners are now gardeners themselves,” he said.

“You must also enjoy what you do – like I do, because if you do not, then you will always make mistakes and you will never grow.”

For Sebastion Mafumo, the shoe has always been on the other foot, and yet despite that, he remains grateful for his many blessings.

“It has always been important to me to put quality over quantity and I am so thankful to all my customers for supporting me during the many years I have been here.”

The veteran shoemaker is mentoring his two nephews, aged 12 and 16, who can now repair their own school shoes and soccer boots when they break, and he hopes they will continue his proud legacy of shoe-making into the future.

“I can say that I am the best shoemaker in town, so stop by sometime if you need your shoes repaired,” said Mafumo, smiling broadly.