Beady eye on a better future

Durban — UMlazi pupil Sphelele Shabalala said she wanted to open a shop one day and sell accessories like necklaces made of beads.

Sphelele, 18, is in Grade 11 at Velabahleke High School and is laying the groundwork on which to build her dream.

Sphelele told the Independent on Saturday she started to bead different accessories when she was in Grade 4, having watched her aunt beading and selling her products.

“I asked her if I could try and she let me,” she said.

When her aunt saw Sphelele was capable of making the jewellery, she was roped in to help. She said when her aunt had orders, she would sometimes ask her to assist.

“I found it relaxing and enjoyed it,” she said.

Sphelele said she now gets orders to make accessories for people who have traditional celebrations.

“I get about five orders in a week, but sometimes I have to decline them when I am busy with school work.”

Sphelele said maidens who attend the reed dance were big clients. Branching out, Sphelele would rent the accessories when the need arose.

She said beading was her hobby, one which makes money for her family. She added that on school holidays and some weekends she focused on making beads, and her mother assisted her with pricing. Making a bangle could take up to five hours, which she considers a short time.

Sphelele is teaching her mother to make the accessories but her siblings say it’s her “thing”: “Whenever I try to teach them, they are not interested.”

She said one of her dreams was to build a home for her family, nine of whom share a small house.

“In 2022 our house was destroyed during the floods.”

They moved to a temporary house provided by the government.

She said after matric she would like to go to university but was not sure what she should study.

“Maybe I should look into a course that will be aligned with my business and upskill myself,” Sphelele said.

Independent on Saturday