A TOWNSHIP businesswoman has scored an international deal from Spain after exhibiting her handstitched African print range of bags at the Design Indaba held in Cape Town in February last year.
Thuleka Duke from Gugulethu in Cape Town designs hand-stitched handbags, shoes and clothing made from rich and colourful African print.
She is among a group of township small business owners participating at the University of Stellenbosch’s Small Business Academy.
According to the university, the academy provides a platform for township small business owners to gain business, financial and operational knowledge to grow and strengthen their businesses as well as create networking opportunities as well as offer mentorship.
The former flight attendant coowns ATG EKASI Handbags and Clothing, based in Cape Town’s Long Street. The establishment employs five people.
Duke started the business two years ago with her fashion designer partner Abass Maazu.
Before she was selected to be part of the academy, she remembers struggling to get the business off the ground. It’s not an easy industry to work in and very difficult for designers to get noticed. But my selection to the SBA programme is an incredible opportunity for me to learn about areas of running a business I have never thought of,” she said.
She said the knowledge from the academy helps them draw closer to their goal of selling in leading boutiques country-wide and to put African designs at the forefront of international fashion,” she said.
Her extensive travel to West Africa as a flight attendant inspired the African print handbags designs.
With much-needed assistance from the Cape Town Fashion Council and Cape Graft Design Institute, I was able to learn the skills to design and make my fashion items and to be exposed to the retail environment,” she said.
The mother of two dreams of opening a school where she can teach children how to make bags.
There are so many young people who finish school but can’t afford to study further,” Duke said. If we can teach them a skill and help them to become entrepreneurs they will not lose hope. We can help them rise from unemployment and poverty.”