Designer Blues
Homeless talk: August 2006Designer in Piracy stand-offStiff contest with ex-trainees
By Hleziphi Mudau
A clothing designer is facing stiff competition from her former trainees and employees, who allegedly copy her designs and reproduce them.
The designer, Brenda Mumba says she has been running her clothing designing business for the past four years in Orange Grove; and in that period employed over 20 women. “They come to me with little or no knowledge of the work. I train them in clothing design, and when they leave they would have learned much about the industry.”
Mumba says that has however created stiff competition for her as she now has to compete with some of her former trainees and employees, who have since started their own businesses. “There are now five clothing design outlets in Louis Botha Avenue alone, and plenty others in the inner city, also owned by people who used to work for me, who produce the same type of clothing that I do,” she says.
She adds that her former employees turned competitors however cannot match her expertise. “To make up for that they send ‘spies’ to my shop, who come and buy my latest creations, then they go on to reproduce them,: she says.
The director of Denys Reitz marketing company, Johan Troskie says creative designers should know the means to protect themselves from unfair competition. “They could use trademarks or patent their products, which would prevent competitors from using their creations without being granted rights to do so,” he explains.
Mumba however says she is aware of the use of trademarks and patents, but may not be able to use them at the moment. “I cannot pay the amount required to register the trademarks or patents. I just have to endure the abuse and exploitation, probably till I raise enough money to protect my designs, “ she adds.
One of Mumba’s former trainees, Lucia Sejale who runs a clothing design project in the Joburg CBD however denies copying her former trainer’s work. “We do what she taught us, and our products may be the same as hers. We don’t need to steal hers.”
A traders co-op in Diepsloot
Co-operative to uplift women entrepreneurs
By Hleziphi Mudau
Five women in Diepsloot have combined their skills to form an independent self-help co-operative called Siyizana. The women consist of a retired community worker, a former domestic worker and three spaza shop owners. The project would be operated from the midst of Diepsloot.
The organization’s spokesperson, Lindelwa Banda says there are many women in Diepsloot who commute almost every week to Randburg and Alexandra to stock merchandise for resale. Bands says the co-operative seeks to end the long distances that these women encounter in their bid to provide for their families.
The project is set to provide most of the products that are sold on the street pavements and spaza shops. Banda says that instead of travelling up and down, traders would be getting stock from the co-operative, which she says would supply most of the common goodies like peanuts, vegetables, bakery produce and other stuff. She says that those who wish to join the co-operative would be trained in basic business skills.
“ Our aim is to the marginalised social entrepreneurs into successful business people, who in turn would be able to give back to their communities a thousand fold.”
Betina Mhlanga one of the founder members of the project adds that the co-operative has already negotiated terms on the products that they would need most.
“The response we got was huge and supportive, delivery would be done by most of our suppliers and that would make our people’s small businesses even easier and more profitable, “ she adds.
Mhlanga says the idea of a co-operative is to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit among township women. “ The co-operative would also negotiate consignment basis with local vendors in order to allow everyone to participate in poverty alleviation.”
She says the project will provide a platform of networking and creation of more opportunities for women. Though many of the women targeted by Siyasizana are believed to have little or no knowledge about real business issues, the organisation’s members are optimistic that it is a matter of time before Diepsloot is haven of successful entrepreneurs.
They say they would acquire initiatives, which will inspire women in the upliftment of their skills and encourage them to attend business workshops that the organisation plans to put in place as soon as the project begins early next year. Women who would show great potential of business ownership would be referred to other bigger institutions, wher they could get more exposure.
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The scanned post of the article is unreadable! Sorry. I will have to type it up into soft format and republish it. I will get on to this tommorrow. I'll then publish it so that you all can read it! Thanks for your patience.
A co-op in Diepsloot
Non formal Business journalism
It is with great pleasure that we at Sunstyle introduce a new form of business journalism which Hleziphi Mudau unwittingly created. Over the next few days we will be posting some of her published articles....Enjoy
