Go People – Onwaba Mleve

We chat to Onwaba Mleve, owner of Zazi Clothing, about her EL business which employs more than 50 people

Onwaba Mvele

What kind of clothing do you make?

We specialise in traditional wear. We also make any type, from PPE, hospital linen, and general uniforms.

When did you start your business and what inspired you?

We started in 2018 as an NPO called The Ark Foundation. We did extra classes at no-fee schools in East Rand helping to fix pupils’ uniforms. We then decided to become a school supplier to make uniform prices reasonable for all parents to afford. We then decided to move back home to grow and create jobs. I received my spiritual calling [yobugqirha], which gave me the guidance I needed to know the right time to open up a shop.

How many people does the business employ?

We have more than 50 employees.

What do you believe sets your business apart? 

We make mbhaco [traditional Xhosa dress] fashionable. We make it fit to your everyday wear and even attract other cultures to feel good in our traditional attire. When you align with who you are, everything falls into place and to align, you must first know who you are [Zazi] and be proud to have a touch of who you are in your everyday wear.

How do you come up with your designs?  

In my designs, I take inspiration from everything, and knowing my clients, or rather Zazi family, and developing that relationship and bond makes it easy as I do what I feel a client needs. It is a part of my journey to heal through clothing. Some designs come to me in my dreams, and I also check trends to keep up with the times.

Who is your target market?  

Anyone and everyone. We have moved from who we are and embraced the modern way of dressing. If you look at Muslims and other cultures, they represent their cultures every day. That is why we are trying to make our African attire everyday wear. Every day you should wear something that speaks to you and wear it proudly.

What are some of your goals?

I am working on a fully-fledged production process where we can weave our own fabric and dye our own colours. Right now, the only colours we have are the ones we grew up with. We are evolving. Our designs are always changing so our colours should change too. This will also help us create more jobs.

What are some of the challenges you have faced in your business and how did you overcome them?

Load-shedding almost killed us, but we did buy generators to fix the problem. We also have a problem of Chinese stores stealing our patterns and designs and creating them on their cheap materials. We try to create designs that are different and unique. We create something new every week.

What advice do you have for people wanting to start their own business?

Do it, don’t wait for support. Push with everything you have. I knew people with money and not one assisted me. Even the government drags their feet and only responded after three years. Don’t wait, start with what you have and give it your all.

Where can our readers find you?

Facebook – Zazi Clothing Factory, Instagram – @Zaziclothingfactory, Cell – 063-477-4893

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