Local fashion designer Nkhangweleni Carol Ratshidaho met Ms Itani Mudau, a crocheter from Muledane, quite by chance at a business awareness workshop in September 2020. The 45-year-old Ratshidaho, from Ha Budeli outside Thohoyandou, immediately fell in love with what Mudau was doing and decided to learn the art of crocheting too.
Over time, more women doing crocheting showed her what to do, and soon she found the hang of it. Now she has come up with a woollen clothing range, which she believes is easier to maintain with the current tough load shedding schedule than any other fabric.
Ratshidaho says she started crocheting for herself, but no sooner had she begun than her unique wool designs caught the attention of clients who wanted to know where she had got the designs from. "This was when I realised there was a need for woollen clothing. A business opportunity presented itself, and I had to explore it," she said.
One thing led to another, and the popularity of her wool clothing kept growing. Before long, she had such a large clientele that she started her own label, called CJ Boutique, and also opened her own business, called CarolJ BeautyWorld, which is based in Sibasa. The business is doing very well today and specialises in all types of fashion wear, from dresses and scarfs to kiddies wear and handbags, to name but a few.
"Even though starting up was a bit of a challenge, I am overcoming it as more people are falling for the woollen fashion. I am able to create something that's more attractive and stylish – a new trend. For now, my target includes everybody, but especially ladies because I want to make stylish clothes for both winter and summer, as well as woollen wedding dresses that can be maintained cheaply. They need no ironing or dry cleaning and fit people from all classes. With load shedding still to be with us for a long time, woollen clothing is the way to go. I am also ready to teach young women the ropes, and that is my humble contribution to my community," said Ratshidaho.