- Mama Mary Lwate, from Winterveld in Gauteng, has been practising beadwork for over 20 years, turning it into a business selling at flea markets and craft shops.
- She now teaches beadwork to women and youth in her community, helping them generate their own income too.
Mama Mary Lwate has been doing beadwork for more than 20 years. What started as something she taught herself has grown into a business, and a way of helping others in her Winterveld community earn a living too.
“I have been practising beadwork for over twenty years. I initially taught myself, but have learned from others too, over the years,” Lwate said.
She believes beadwork is an important South African tradition worth preserving, and passing on to others as a legacy for the next generation.
The turning point came when people started noticing her work.
“I recognised the opportunity to turn my heritage activity into a source of income when others started to comment on my work and appreciate my finished products. I turned it into a business by selling at flea markets and at our Centre,” she said.
It wasn’t easy at first.
“The challenges I faced when I started included making lots of mistakes and not having enough capital. I learned that in business, it takes time to get customers and keep them,” Lwate said.
Lwate is part of Clover Mama Afrika, a corporate social investment programme running since 2001 that has trained more than 37,000 community members across the country.
Rika Haasbroek, Clover’s Manager for Corporate Social Investment, said Lwate embodies the programme’s motto.
“Mama Mary is a beautiful example of Clover Mama Afrika’s motto: I learn, I earn, I teach. She has embraced a traditional skill and turned it into an income-generating opportunity, which she now shares with others. She has been with us since 2008 and is a shining example of our ethos,” Haasbroek said.
Today, Lwate teaches beadwork to women and youth in her community and beyond, but says the learning goes both ways.
“My business has been going well and growing. There is a demand at craft shops. The youth of today advise me on what to add to my products to modernise my beadwork,” she said.
“The Clover Mama Afrika project has empowered me personally and helped me develop many skills that I can also pass on to others, especially my community, children and grandchildren. Meeting other Mamas has also helped me learn from them and socialise, meet new people and open doors to other ideas and opportunities.”
Mama Mary’s tips for turning a traditional skill into a business:
Preserve traditions and culture by learning traditional skills
Keep up with the latest trends and what people are interested in
Combine traditional skills with modern trends to create products people will actually want to buy
Reach out to friends and family and ask for honest feedback
Look for mentors and opportunities to learn, volunteer and improve your skills
Get yourself out there. Socialise and don’t be afraid to network, you never know who may be interested in what you’re doing
