A GROUP of seamstresses from Nelson Mandela Bay and the Sarah Baartman District, who received industrial sewing machines and overlockers from the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, said that the new equipment will improve and professionalise their business operations, and ensure profitability.
The approximately 17 individuals owning clothing and textile enterprises received the 31 machines during the recent official handover by MEC Nonkqubela Pieters.
Pieters has been handing over industrial sewing machines to seamstresses as part of the department’s ongoing programme to resource clothing and textile businesses in the province. During the 2022/23 financial year she handed over 201 sewing machines to 103 enterprises supported by the department with a R2 million investment.
“We are going to be benefiting now because the machines we had were very old,” said Zikhona Maki, a fashion designer who also received a machine.
“Now that we have new machines, the business is going to run nicely, and our work will be very professional.”
Maki designs formal evening wear, traditional outfits and trendy street wear.
Monwabisi Matyu, of Khanya Design, received a walking foot machine and said that his business is doing automotive and domestic upholstery.
“The machine I received will make things easier for my business. At first, I was using only one machine, now I will be able to train someone else so that we can work together and then the work we do will be faster.”
Pieters said the machines are not just small machines, but industrial machines, that will enable entrepreneurs to produce quality products.
“The fact that there is a person doing auto and domestic upholstery shows it’s not only people who are sewing clothes that are supported. Most of the enterprises here are sewing school uniforms. As government, through this investment, we are fighting poverty for women. We want them to be able to create jobs and we are encouraging them to grow their businesses. We want to see them having their own factories. Someone can start small but we want them to grow to become big businesses.”
– ISSUED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF
RURAL DEVELOPMENT & AGRARIAN REFORM
