A 2024 Women Entrepreneur Awards winner, Nobuntu Saka (67), said she will use the money received from the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR), the hosts in Port St Johns, to buy more material for her business.
Saka is the director of Abasuki Ternal Co-operatives, at Mthalala locality in Port St Johns.
“I started to notice my talent in sewing when I was still young. After I passed standard six, I could not further my studies because there was no money, and my mother was a widow.
“I then went to Gauteng, where I got a job at Fochville Hotel in Johannesburg. I worked there for three years; after that I bought my sewing machine, and I started my sewing business,” said Saka.
She added that after she sewed her first pinafore, she wore it, and that led her to get more women who asked her to sew for them.
Saka said that is how she started her business. According to her, even when still at primary school, she used to do needlework.
“Sometimes I will dream of sewing something. When I wake up, I will then look for a paper and cut it, or a sack. I will do exactly what I saw in my dream. No-one taught me about doing beadwork; I used to see it in my dream busy doing it. When I woke up, I would go to one of the community members to ask for beads and lagenaria siceraria (iselwa). I then did the beads that are worn on the chest.
“When I am doing these things, I will make sure that I am following what I was doing in my dream.”
Saka said that no-one had taught her on how to use the sewing machine.
She confirmed that there are lot people who have gained from her talent.
According to her, she also owns the sewing school Nobuntu Designing Sewing School, where she has taught many people sewing.
Saka said she started the school in 2013, and has a high number of people who have benefited so far.
Saka said she started by training 150 people in her locality, and those people are still sewing and have their own projects.
“When I am done with training them, they become a group, and I register companies for them so that they can have their own co-operatives.
“I also assisted them by getting support for sewing school uniforms from South African Social Security Services (SASSA). I have trained a lot of people in different districts, including Flagstaff and Lusikisiki.”
She confirmed that before the COVID-19 pandemic she used to have over 30 workers, but now she has fewer workers than before. She said that she owns over 50 machines, because they are doing many things in her workshop.
Saka said that when she entered the awards competition, held by DRDAR, she did not know she would win, but was shocked when her name was announced.
She added that even though she is well-known for her sewing, she still wants to reach more people.
“I was very happy; I even cried because I was not expecting this.
“There were so many people who entered this competition.
“I was awarded with a cheque of R30 000. While I was still sitting down my name was called again for the overall winner, and I was awarded with another cheque of R30 000.
“I could not hold my tears. We will use this money to buy material so that we can keep our business growing,” said Saka.
