A small clothing business owner in Philippi, Cape Town, says she has had to dig deep to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatened her livelihood and that of the six people she employs.
During Women’s Month last year, Zimkita Hene faced eviction from the Junxion Mall in Philippi. This, after she fell behind in rent payments due to the lockdown and trading restrictions.
A year on, with the pandemic still raging she is now offering sewing classes as a means to keep her company going, but also to empower other women in the community.
“We had to think on our feet and see how else we are going to attract revenue and to continue trading. So what we did was we started sewing classes and since we started them they have been quite a success. They have been one of the key factors that are contributing to us actually still being open to this date.”
39-Year-old Siphokazi Mnyameni is unemployed. She lost her job of 17 years as a cabin crew member for SAA during this time. Knowing that she needed to find a skill to sustain herself and her family. She signed on for sewing lessons here.
“Like here in Philippi, we are surrounded by poverty, crime and some of us are not literate. So we didn’t go to school. We only have grade 9 or grade 10 or 12. This has opened ways for women and especially young women you know. This is a skill we can have forever. She will teach us the lessons, but we take it further. We do our own businesses, we can even continue what she’s doing.”
Hene says she has been fortunate to have received help from the government. She is now in the process of having her classes formally accredited.
“We also started knocking on government doors like, we are currently in the process of and registering our business with SETA so we can get accredited, so we have been taking the initiative to appeal to the government to say we are here we want your assistance.”
The sewing classes run over a three-month period, for one full day a week. Over 150 students have so far completed the course.
