By Nkosazana Ngwadla
Growing up in the Western Cape township of Khayelitsha, Nwabisa Godongwana, 30, didn’t know any seamstress who had achieved the type of dreams she had for herself. So, she decided to do everything she could to pursue them and be the inspiration she needed.
She did her lower education in Khayelitsha and after matric, went on to study Clothing Management, a combination of fashion, retail and textile, at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
“Growing up I used to play with dolls a lot and would cut my old clothes to make clothing for my dolls. At the time, I didn’t know that this would be something that would come as a profession later on in my life. The realisation came to me when I was in Grade 8; I would randomly think of what I wanted to become after matric.
I had this dream of owning my own clothing company and I knew then that after matric I’m going to study fashion, but the funny part is that I didn’t qualify to study fashion because their minimum requirements were a portfolio of sketches, I had none of that because I didn’t know how to draw, I still don’t know how to,” she laughs, “ So, I then went to study Clothing Management instead,” she tells The Fuse
If she wasn’t sure if she was making the right career move, her decision was vindicated when she won the Garment Development Award in the first year of her Clothing Management studies.
After completing her studies in 2014, Nwabisa continued making clothes for herself, family members and friends. And in 2017, she finally registered her business, Sambatho, and started formally taking orders from clients who are still loyal to her five years later.
The reality for many small businesses is that they encounter a mountain of challenges before finally taking off, and one such challenge is the COVID-19 pandemic – some businesses have been hit so hard that they still haven’t re-opened. And although Nwabisa’s business was also heavily affected, what drives her won’t let her give up.
Nwabisa’s Motivation
“Beyond Sambatho, my business, being a passion, I believe it is my God-given purpose. I want every woman, man, and child to feel not only represented but to feel completely comfortable in their own skin. We all have different insecurities about our appearance, but the power of a good garment is that it is able to bring back your confidence and make you realise just how beautiful and unique you are. I want to help people celebrate themselves,” it’s hard to miss the zeal in her eyes.
“My goal of owning my own clothing company motivates me, also the fact that there are endless opportunities within the clothing industry. Having a skill that can work for me, seeing more black-owned businesses, and the idea of changing the narrative in my generation motivates me as well,” she says.
Her favourite part about her craft is seeing the finished product; when her client fits the garment for the last time, seeing them happy and feeling good about how they look in the mirror. “In that moment it’s like God is telling me ‘You have done your assignment’,” she smiles.
Memorable Garments
Nwabisa, like any artist, does not have a favourite garment that she has created, but there are quite a few memorable ones, like her client Pearl’s traditional wedding dresses.
“The reason for this is that I was her last option, she had already had someone who made her dress, but she was not happy with the outcome, so a mutual friend suggested me to her. This all happened when I was down and out in my life, I was unemployed, my clientele was nowhere really, COVID was at its peak, people were losing jobs, people were dying, life was a bit of a sad story.
“But after making those pieces for Pearl, there was a bit of a shift in my business, the garments were so beautiful that I was amazed by the work. I then started to get calls from people I don’t know, placing orders. Since then, my business is no longer a seasonal thing, I get orders all year round.”
Future Goals for Sambatho
Although Nwabisa works as a full-time Assistant Educator, she has big plans for her business, and won’t stop until she fulfils them all.
“My short-term goal for my business is to introduce SAMBATHO DESIGNS before the year ends. Where my clients will have an opportunity to buy my designs. My long-term goal is to have a clothing house (SAMBATHO) that provides a service to customers who want custom-made garments (Sambatho Custom), provide a shopping experience for customers to buy (Sambatho Designs) from the designer’s range and lastly teach sewing skills to people who would like to obtain sewing skills (Sambatho Workshops).”
Watch out world, Nwabisa is bringing Sambatho to every corner.
Contact Nwabisa: sambathodesign@gmail.com
Instagram: @sambatho_custom
Image Credit: Supplied
