Siyakhula Schoolwear

My name is Naledi Maseko, and I am the founder of Siyakhula Schoolwear, a small clothing manufacturing business based in Soweto. I started this business because I had seen too many parents struggling every January to find school uniforms at reasonable prices, while small local clothing makers around Johannesburg were struggling to secure reliable orders. I believed these two problems could be connected. Instead of trying to compete immediately with large national retailers, I decided to build a business focused on producing durable school uniforms for schools, parents and community organisations that value local production and dependable service.

Siyakhula Schoolwear started in 2021 from a sewing machine in the spare room of my home. I had learned basic sewing from my aunt while growing up, but my professional background was in administration. During the economic difficulties that followed the pandemic, I began repairing clothes for neighbours to earn additional income. Parents soon started asking whether I could make school skirts, trousers and pinafores. I initially accepted only small orders because I was working alone, but the demand made me realise that there was a genuine opportunity to turn my sewing skills into a proper business.

My first significant order came from a parent group that needed uniforms for approximately thirty children. I spent several weeks sourcing fabric, taking measurements and producing each garment by hand. It was exhausting, but it also taught me what customers actually cared about. They wanted stitching that would survive daily use, fabric that would not become thin after a few washes and uniforms that were delivered when promised. That first order led to referrals, and by the following school term I was receiving requests from parents I had never met.

Over the past five years, the business has grown from one person working at home into a small production operation. We now produce school skirts, trousers, shirts, dresses, tracksuit items and selected sportswear for children and teenagers. Our customers include individual parents, small schools, after-school programmes and community organisations that purchase uniforms in batches. We have supplied customers in Soweto and neighbouring areas, and we have received enquiries from schools further across Gauteng that we have not been able to accept consistently because our current production capacity is too limited.

Our production process begins when a customer provides measurements or an order specification. I purchase fabric and other materials from established textile suppliers, inspect them before cutting and prepare the garments according to the required school colours and styles. Cutting, stitching, pressing, quality checks and packaging are handled in stages. I currently work with three sewing assistants on a part-time basis depending on the size of our orders. I remain responsible for purchasing, customer communication, measurements, quality control and financial records. For smaller orders, customers collect from our workshop, while larger school orders are delivered using hired local transport.

Our biggest problem is not a shortage of customers; it is production capacity. We currently have several older domestic sewing machines, and they were never designed for the volume of work we are now receiving. A machine may need servicing in the middle of an important order, which can delay the entire production schedule. Some finishing work also has to be done manually because we do not have the right industrial equipment. During the weeks before schools reopen, this becomes particularly difficult because demand rises sharply and customers need their uniforms within a limited period.

Another challenge is the cost of materials. Fabric, thread, zips, buttons, elastic and other inputs have become more expensive, while parents remain extremely price conscious. We cannot simply increase our prices every time our suppliers increase theirs. To remain competitive, we have had to reduce waste, negotiate with suppliers and carefully plan purchases. However, buying materials in small quantities often means paying more per unit. This is one of the reasons additional working capital and equipment are important to us now.

Financially, Siyakhula Schoolwear has been built almost entirely through customer revenue and my personal savings. I have reinvested earnings into fabric, rent, machine repairs and wages rather than taking large profits from the company. The business is generating sales, but the current equipment limits how much revenue we can turn into profit. A faster industrial machine can complete in hours what currently takes much longer, and better finishing equipment can reduce the amount of rework required. The investment is therefore intended to increase productive capacity rather than simply make the workshop look better.

We are requesting R1,780,000 to purchase industrial sewing and finishing equipment, expand our production capacity and strengthen the workshop so that we can accept larger school uniform contracts. The goal is to move from a small workshop that primarily serves individual customers into a reliable local manufacturer capable of producing consistent batches for schools and organisations.

• R720,000 for industrial sewing machines: We will purchase several industrial machines suited to continuous garment production, allowing us to increase stitching speed, improve consistency and reduce breakdowns caused by relying on older domestic machines.

• R310,000 for cutting and fabric preparation equipment: Faster and more accurate cutting will reduce fabric waste and allow multiple garments to be prepared in batches rather than individually.

• R240,000 for pressing and finishing equipment: This will improve the final appearance of uniforms and reduce the time required to complete pressing and finishing by hand.

• R260,000 for fabric and production materials: We will purchase commonly requested fabrics, thread, buttons, zips, elastic and other materials in larger quantities, giving us better supplier pricing and enough stock to fulfil confirmed orders promptly.

• R150,000 for workshop improvements: This will cover electrical work, worktables, storage, lighting and basic safety improvements required for a more efficient production environment.

• R100,000 for initial operating and maintenance costs: This reserve will cover machine servicing, transport, packaging and other operating expenses during the first months after expansion.

The implementation will begin as soon as the funding is available. During the first month, I will purchase the equipment, prepare the workshop and arrange installation. Existing staff will receive practical training on the new machines, with particular attention given to safe operation and quality control. During the second month, we will introduce the new production workflow and begin accepting larger batch orders. I will also approach schools and community organisations that previously contacted us but whose orders were too large for our old setup.

By the third month, we expect to have a more predictable production schedule and the ability to work on several orders simultaneously. Our target is to increase monthly garment production substantially while reducing the average time required to complete an order. We will continue keeping detailed records of fabric usage, production hours, sales and customer returns so that increased volume does not result in lower quality.

The expansion is expected to create at least five new employment opportunities within the first year. Two positions will be focused on machine operation, while others will support cutting, finishing, packaging and order preparation. As our school contracts increase, I would like to create additional apprenticeship opportunities for young people who want to learn garment production. One of my personal goals is to show young people that practical skills such as sewing and clothing production can become sustainable careers when combined with good business management.

The expected impact goes beyond increasing our sales. By purchasing more materials from local and regional suppliers and producing more uniforms locally, we can keep a greater portion of the value within the community. Parents will have another option for obtaining schoolwear, schools will have a local supplier they can communicate with directly, and our employees will have more consistent work throughout the year. We also plan to introduce a repair and alteration service for existing customers, allowing uniforms to remain useful for longer instead of being discarded because of minor damage or changes in size.

My long-term vision is to build Siyakhula Schoolwear into a respected South African schoolwear manufacturer with a reputation for durable products, fair pricing and reliable delivery. I would like to develop direct supply relationships with schools, establish a dedicated online ordering system for parents and eventually expand into workwear and basic children's clothing. I also want the workshop to become a place where young people can receive practical training and gain experience that can help them find employment or eventually start their own small manufacturing businesses.

I know that raising capital requires me to demonstrate that the business deserves people's trust. We have not reached this point because of one large investment or a lucky opportunity. We have grown through hundreds of small orders, repeat customers and years of learning how to solve problems with limited resources. The equipment we are asking for would give us the capacity to serve customers who are already asking for our products and to build a stronger foundation for larger contracts.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about Siyakhula Schoolwear and the journey behind the business. Every contribution will help us purchase equipment, increase production, create employment and serve more families with locally made school uniforms. I am deeply grateful to everyone who supports this campaign, shares it with others or simply takes the time to understand what we are trying to build. My hope is that Siyakhula will eventually become much more than my small sewing business. I want it to become a workplace where people learn, earn a living and take pride in making products that families across our community can afford and depend on.