African attire is an instant hit business enterprise for many West African countries, where the clothes are made with colours representing various tribes and considered essential at traditional events.
During her tour of South Africa in 2011, America’s First Lady Michelle Obama stepped off the plane in Pretoria wearing a jacket made by Nigerian designer Duro Olowu.
But back home in Zimbabwe there are very few locals skilled in design of traditional costumes apart from a few specialist outlets in the capital city. A group of skilled women in Gweru have taken advantage of the continental trend and set up a thriving textiles project that specialises in the design and production of African attire.
Known as Temash Exclusive Centre, the premises on sixth street have become the single largest point where individuals, institutions and safari companies throng for supplies of the outfits. The ladies import the fabric from countries like Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana and use their professional skills to design top class outfits for children and adults of both sexes.
Local fabrics
Their project is the only one where designs of special foreign fabrics like Mama Africa, Egypt Batik, Diamond Wax and Polytop can be found. Local makes like Poly-cotton, Fleece and Mandy are also available.
The interior appearance of the project may surely be mistaken for the now defunct lint-processor and textile manufacturer David Whitehead, which used to have thriving branches in Gweru, Kadoma and Chegutu. The ladies have acquired heavy industrial machinery after having just started with small-holder machines. Scattered sewing notions like threads, pieces of cloths, fasteners such as zippers, buttons, and snaps, needles and pins and seam rippers confirm to any visitor that the place is a hive of activity.
The project, which has been going for five years, is the brainchild of Tenderai Marusho,50. “Our main specialty has been the cutting and designing of African attire. That is what we are famous for. However, schools and churches have lately approached us to make uniforms for them.
Skill & professionalism
"We have also produced the finest wedding gowns and clothing for such events, while some local colleges have also roped us in for the designing of graduation suits. This has all been because of the confidence people have in us due to our skills and professionalism,” she said.
Though Marusho, who has vast experience in the textiles industry, having been with David Whitehead for years, was the one who originated the idea of the project and later involved four others. The venture is now equally owned by the ladies.
Margaret Ndawana, 52, tasked with managing imports of materials, said she had built a three bed-roomed house in her rural home of Zhombe; purchased a residential stand in the plush suburb of Montrose in Gweru and covered living expenses for her family since starting the project.
“My husband died in 1995 after being robbed and attacked in Redcliff. During that time, I was pregnant and unemployed. Sadly, relatives of my late husband grabbed all the estates and property we had gathered. So things became very difficult for me because we had been abandoned.
“However, when I joined hands with my colleagues to work on this textiles business, my life changed and I have had various successes. I now take care of the living costs of my extended family and currently I am paying fees for my sister’s son enrolled at Masvingo Polytechnic College. The other one I helped has completed form four at secondary school. I also take care of the needs of the other younger sister whose husband is unemployed and I can say I am their breadwinner,” she said.
Hands-on experience
Mazda Pfunde, 25, said she only had theoretical knowledge about textiles but when she joined the venture after graduating in 2005 from the Great Zimbabwe College, where she trained in cutting and designing, she amassed great experience.
“I have been groomed and given hands-on experience. That is what no one will ever steal from me. I am also now able to feed myself and the family. What also warms my heart is the fact that I have succeeded to provide funeral cover for six orphans in my extended family in Masvingo. Besides, I also pay for their educational expenses. As a woman, I feel complete because I can fend for myself in the absence of a man in my life – something uncommon in patriarchal societies,” she said.
Elizabeth Mumanyiri, 33, holder of a Tailoring, Cutting and Designing certificate from Makoni Community college, said she had invested some proceeds from the venture into a separate business of buying and selling finished casual wear from South Africa.
Casual wear
“I have opened a flea-market stall that has become popular with casual wear for all age groups in the city. I also employ several people at it. The other achievement is that my mother in our rural area of Gutu is now perhaps the most progressive farmer because I funded her. She has established a thriving agricultural project and a market gardening business,” she said.
In future, the ladies expect to fulfil their ambition of opening other branches in the country’s major cities and open up employment opportunities for other women.
“At present we have been centralised in Gweru. However, we have a very big ambition of reaching out to other cities because at present some of our clients travel all the way from places like Bulawayo, Harare, Kadoma, Kwekwe and Mutare. That way we feel we will be able to employ several other ladies that have skills but are unemployed,” said Prisca Nyamayaro, the marketing point-person of the venture.
Post published in: Economy