Philemon Motaung’s sewing
skills are a God-given talent and one that’s earns him the respect of customers
from around the country. He said: “I took a bag, looked at it, and realised it
wasn’t hard to make.
Then I started sewing bags of my own. I also sell aprons
and peg bags but my denim bags fly off the shelves because they are bought by
people in Limpopo and Gauteng.” The 42-year-old sells denim bags at the Mansel
Road Market in Durban.
He moved to Durban from
QwaQwa in the Free State in 2006 to look for a job.
The 42-year-old said:
"I started selling the bags from a flat I used to share with a friend of
mine. Later that year, I got a stand at the Mansel Road Market.” His bags come
in different sizes but the small ones are often used as cellphone holders. He
didn’t go to school to learn how to sew but Motaung said he can’t imagine doing
anything else for a living.
In an interview with DailySun Motaung said: “I get
big orders because some people buy the bags so they can sell them.” He uses the
profits he makes to look after his two children who live in QwaQwa.
“My children are still in
school. I only see them during school holidays but I always send money home so
they can have everything they need. My dream is to own a building where I’ll
make more bags." Although it’s not easy being away from his children, he
left his home province to give them a better life. The dream of his own space
would create more than a better life for his children.
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