By Tanyaradzwa Ntuli
- When film graduate Anointing Lukola couldn’t find work during lockdown, she used her creativity to start making handmade beaded bags.
- Her brand, Mayaka Accessories, grew after she started showing her face at markets, turning her small lockdown idea into a thriving business.
Like many young South Africans during lockdown, Anointing Lukola found herself jobless after finishing college.
She had just completed her studies in digital film production in Cape Town and was excited to start her career. But when the movie studios stopped hiring, her dreams felt far away.
Born in Johannesburg to Congolese parents and raised in Durban, she moved back home to help her parents with costs.
One day, while scrolling online, she saw a beaded bag that caught her eye. “I can make that,” she thought. She bought materials, even though they were expensive, and started creating.
Four days later, her first handmade bag was ready. She sent photos to her sister and best friend, who loved it.
A month later, she carried the bag to a wedding, and everything changed. People kept asking where she got it and were shocked to hear she made it herself. That moment sparked her business, Mayaka Accessories.
At first, she only charged people for the materials. Soon, she began selling her bags properly as more people wanted them.
The journey wasn’t easy. For two years, she quietly promoted her work online, too shy to say she was the owner.
Then she decided to come out of her shell – showing her face at exhibitions and markets. Sales soared.
Now, she travels to markets where people can see and feel her handmade bags up close.
“Being humble doesn’t mean being quiet about your brand,” she says. “Talk about it. Grab every opportunity.”
Pictured above: Anointing Lukola.
Image source: Supplied
