A 29-year-old Hambanathi resident who had to stop working to look after her autistic daughter has become the township’s queen of laundry.

Thembeka Zondi dreamt of finding a steady job and looking after Kayla (6) but was forced to repeatedly resign to look after her daughter.

“At the beginning of this year, I sat down and thought of what can I do that will not take so much of my time away from my daughter. I started making flyers offering laundry services within the township, targeting those who work shifts, tenants and bachelors. Since then people have been bringing their laundry in the morning and picking it up in the afternoon,” she said.

The 2010 Fairbreeze Secondary School matriculant holds a higher certificate in logistics and supply chain management from Rosebank College, and possibly uses some of what she learned to operate her new business.

She does not shy away from challenges and will taxi across town to collect laundry from clients who cannot drop it off at her house.

For now, her business operates out of her bathroom and bedroom but she envisions buying a wendy house for her laundry as soon as she’s able.

But she won’t stop there.

Zondi’s dream is to open her own laundry service on her own land.

The working day starts early for this mother and at 5.30am she wakes her daughter ready for school.

Kayla leaves at 6.45am and then she must prepare for her first customers to arrive.

Parenting a daughter with autism also has its unique challenges.

“As a single mum, it can get very overwhelming at times because she cannot talk. I need to be here to keep a close eye on her behaviour.”