Ntikelo Diligent Rikhotso from Saselamani in the Malamulele district is slowly becoming a household brand with her creative fashion designs. The 23-year-old, self-taught designer and owner of Valore Diligenta was among the selected local talents who got to showcase their designs at the fashion show hosted by First Style Designs at Porche Villa Hotel in Tswinga on 18 February this year.
The project was led by Jane International Luxe and Sandra Nngwedzeni Ndou.
Ntikelo says she was driven by her love and passion for fashion when she bought her first sewing machine in 2020, during the national lockdown and, with a lot of practice and some help from YouTube tutorials, she taught herself how to sew.
"I have to admit that, when I bought my first sewing machine, it wasn't with the idea of going into fashion designing, let alone starting a business, but that is what it led to in the end. I was fortunate enough to be able to manoeuvre my way into this industry on a self-taught basis. My family had been very supportive from the start. They never once mocked me for buying a machine I'd never operated before. They would proudly wear the not-so-good-looking clothing I'd make them wear without thinking twice. The hours of trial and error put in and the tutorials, as well as God's grace, came in very handy for a beginner in this industry, as I was at the time. The fashion show earlier this year was a very big deal for me. Overall, this has indeed been an amazing journey so far and having people recognise and love what I do is one of the reasons why I work hard at what I do now."
Ntikelo says her father, who was a craftsman, is the reason behind her inspiration. "Growing up, I always watched my father creating things with his hands. Even when he got sick and his leg had to be amputated, it never stopped him from continuing with his craft. I am motivated to keep going because he taught me that I can achieve anything despite my circumstances, and to never let anything derail me from reaching my goals," she said.