Being a successful dressmaker requires long hours of bending over a machine while focusing intensely. It also demands creativity, and designers must truly love what they do. Ms Tshifularo Machaba, from Mpheni Hamakhakhi village, knows this well. She has been doing it for nearly 12 years and insists that it is a highly rewarding job.
Machaba graduated in fashion design from the Dithlare Training Centre. She then started her own business, specializsng in ladies’ wear and traditional attire, such as minwenda, traditional shoes, and bracelets. She prefers to use indigenous Vhavenda, Bapedi, and Xitsonga fabrics.
“Working on my sewing machine is kind of spiritual to me,” she said. Machaba explained that her love of sewing and design began at a young age when she watched her grandmother alter and make clothes for the family. She began practicing this trade herself because she was determined to be self-reliant and provide for her family. Today, Machaba is her own boss, with customers from local areas and beyond.
Machaba did not mind sharing the secret of her success with readers. “Hard work and proper customer care will take you places,” she said. She added that fashion design is all about creativity. According to her, one must recognise good colour combinations and be skilled at drawing and expressing ideas through sketches.
Her advice to other women is: “Stand up and take charge of your lives. It’s high time we take back control. Don’t depend on a man.” Machaba said that happiness came first in her life, despite the challenges she sometimes faced. “Managing family life and running a business is not easy, but I make sure to do what makes me happy.”
