Annah Hlebeleya started sewing back in 1999 after a government training program empowered her with the skills and equipment. She partners with her neighbor Joyce to sew bedding and caps. Several years ago she lost her husband and has been raising her three children on her own since then. To pass on the empowerment she has taught her eight-year-old daughter to sew.
Annah started with Phakamani in 2015 with a R1200 loan. She paid back that loan and several subsequent loans as she has continued to grow her business.
There is not much of a market locally so Annah and Joyce travel about an hour and a half by cab to sell their goods door to door. On these trips they also collect money from prior deliveries. When a client places an order a down payment is required followed by monthly payments. Following this business model, the ladies are able to generate a respectable monthly income. In fact, Annah has made significant progress on a home addition to improve living space for her family. With the profits from her business she intends to continue purchasing bricks to complete the project.
