Carpentry and crafting: Matilda breaks the mould
Matilda Avhashoni Mamatseane's secret is to never be discouraged by the challenges she comes across as she believes in herself.
LIMPOPO – Self-taught carpenter Matilda Avhashoni Mamatseane loves working with her hands and dreams of learning the skills of carpentry and crafting.
The 34-year-old from Gondeni la Mabilu village in the Vhembe district started her business, Matilda MM Craft and Carpentry in 2021 as a hobby after she was left with a leg injury.
Mamatseane holds a national diploma in human resources management, a B. Tech in human resources management and a postgraduate (PGDip) from the University of Johannesburg.
Matilda M Carpentry and Crafting specialises in furniture, dining tables, coffee tables, side tables, wooden mortar, pestle, wooden spoons, trays and bowls, by using trees including mutambapfunda, mutondo, musinde and Mutulume.
Being a young female carpenter means breaking certain stereotypes, she said, and one should know that gender or age does not define one’s ability to succeed in any male-dominated field.
“I started this business because I was unemployed, and I wanted to make changes to my life. My goal is to improve my work and become an expert in my work to enable me to supply and even have my furniture shop one day. I would like to see my business flourish and be able to make a difference in society by creating employment for other people.”
Asked about the challenges she experiences, she hoped that local government would connect the streets in her area to the main road.
“These roads are not in great condition, and very muddy in the rainy season. It affects my work as customers cannot access the area.”
She also needs certain materials to work her craft.
“I need help with machines to work in order to do my work better, and manufacture my products on time. I need help with any basic carpentry and crafting machines including tools that I can use. This includes chains saws, baby grinders, a sanding machine, trimming and edging machines, industrial clamps and so on.”
She said her family is very supportive but cannot be there for her at all times as they too are trying to make a living for their own families.
“My secret is to never be discouraged by the challenges I come across. I am self-motivated and driven and I believe in myself. I also embrace my uniqueness of work and stay positive at all times. When I went to school, I had the hope that my life would get better and when my previous job came to an end, I had to get up and fight poverty. I am happy for this journey,” she concluded.
