The word ‘Zimele’ literally translates as “to stand on one’s feet”. By empowering aspiring and ambitious entrepreneurs to do just that, we’re playing our part in helping to create jobs and in turn, strengthen the economy.
It was just over 25 years ago that Zimele was founded to give funding and support to previously disadvantaged South Africans and helping them build their own successful small to medium enterprise (SME).
Here’s a quick look at our contribution through Zimele over the past seven years.
In the spirit of Youth Month, we chatted to one of our inspiring young Zimele entrepreneurs, about her journey from ambitious dreamer to successful business owner.
Stitching together success - Tebogo Molotsi
Meet Tebogo, one of our inspiring young entrepreneurs who, through the support of Zimele, went from humble beginnings to co-owner of Stitches Clothing, a 100% black women owned manufacturing company.
Tebogo was born and raised in an extended family and as they were all reliant on her mother's salary as a domestic worker, finances became a real challenge. As the eldest of four children, a great deal of the financial pressures fell on Tebogo’s shoulders.
“It was because of these financial constraints I couldn't go to university,” she says. “After my matric I had to find work to help my mother raise my siblings. Getting a job so soon after school wasn't easy, and because I didn't have any higher education I had to take what I could, which was limited to admin work. I did a bit of reception work here, data capturing there and ended up doing payroll for a cleaning company.”
Being a dreamer at heart, Tebogo felt unfulfilled, “after four years I felt I had reached the ceiling and left the company. I registered a company with my mother and I started pursuing business. The energy that we invested in the business was overwhelming at times as neither one of us had any business background. Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself as an entrepreneur, but it came so naturally to me, it felt like I was born for it.”
Her entrepreneurial journey was a difficult one, filled with challenges and sacrifice. “The most challenging obstacle was raising funds for working capital, but it all changed when I came across an article about a partnership between Zimele and The Jobs Fund that offers financial assistance to small businesses,” said Tebogo.
The funding from Zimele, through our Sebenza Fund, was a big relief for her business and her factory now has well over 50 industrial machines including a cutting table, cutting machine and embroidery machine. Stitches Clothing now produces over 300 garments a day and employs over 40 people, the majority of which are black women from her local community.
With the Sebenza Fund we’ve partnered with the Jobs Fund through National Treasury. The fund a great example of how government and business can come together for the greater good of our country. Sebenza, which means ‘to work’ in isiZulu, expects to create 8,000 new sustainable jobs over the next three years. It was thanks to the Sebenza Fund that Tebogo was able to chase and find her dreams.
She says that starting a business is definitely not for the faint hearted. “My advice to those wanting to start a business is to always be prepared, riding the crazy entrepreneurial roller coaster sometimes feels like you are carrying the weight of the whole world on your shoulders. Always surround yourself with good supportive people.”