A perfect fusion of recycled materials and African elements, crafted into an exquisite end product. Cynthia Thusi, from Diepsloot in Region A, is a self-made bagmaker and entrepreneur.
Six years ago, when she lost her job, her mind was set on starting a business, and she has never looked back. Thusi founded Tlou Collections in 2017. Tlou means elephant in Sesotho, and the name adds the African touch, as all her bags embody a unique African feel.
She makes tote bags, laptop bags, cooler bags, backpacks, and pencil cases. The bags can be used for a variety of purposes, including travel, sports, and even make-up storage. All the bags are made from recycled material and are covered with various African fabrics.
As a result of losing her corporate sales job in 2016, Thusi’s life was turned upside down, but she knew she had to survive and began using the skills she gained in high school to support herself. “I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing,” she says.
She was adamant about sharpening her skills and learning more, and it was after enrolling in an upcycling course that she realised she could use recycled materials to make beautiful things.
Thusi uses all sorts of materials, from billboards to mesh fabric, and, in her way, contributes to keeping the City clean. “When you don’t know where it ends up, it litters the environment,” she says.
In 2019, the City of Joburg offered Thusi an exciting opportunity to make bags for the Joburg Ladies Open golf tournament. In the following year, she was approached again, and after two weeks of sleepless nights, she delivered the product. She says the 150 bags she made for the tournament gave her a financial kickstart for the year.
Her bags were a hit at this year’s leg of the annual golf showpiece. She says this opportunity helped with getting her name out there and she’s grateful to the City.
“This shows the City has faith in me. They are willing to support small businesses in the community. I’m wishing and hoping for a growing relationship with the municipality.”
She says doing work for the City is also one of the proudest moments of her career. “It says there is potential for my business to grow.”
Thusi, as an entrepreneur, has helped create part-time job opportunities in Diepsloot, where she lives, by hiring extra hands. She’d like to grow and be at a stage where she employs people on a full-time basis.
Her business was also hit hard by the Covid-19 lockdown, which nearly forced it to close because there was no clientele for her product. It’s the only form of income she has, and as a single parent, it was tough. The family had to survive on their mother’s grant.
“It was tough to stay motivated, but the need to leave a legacy and grow kept me going,” she says. It was this mindset that made her soldier on.
Thusi encourages corporate companies to support small businesses, especially female business owners because they carry a lot of households on their shoulders. Her parting shot to other businesswomen is: “hang in there and don’t give up”.
Written by Brümilda Swartbooi
07/04/2022