Empowering Communities
“Skills development provides the single best way to accommodate the demand for skilled labour in the formal economy while at the same time allowing for improved entrepreneurial activity in the informal economy.” – Andre Lighthelm, Research Director at UNISA
Thandeka subscribes to the notion that the more than 10 million jobs created by small businesses in the formal and informal sector have a multiplier effect on local communities. The creation of small businesses including micro home-based CTFL manufacturing and retail initiatives, create opportunities for other people in the community in terms of job creation, sourcing materials, and utilising local services.
Local consumers play a big role in supporting local businesses and ensuring their growth – and in return, they benefit by knowing they are supporting the local economy, contributing to job creation, accessing products that are often hand-crafted, original, and made from local or recycled materials, and contributing to the environmental sustainability by reducing their carbon footprint.

Transformation Initiatives
Thandeka has partnered with various established community-based non-profit organisations to upskill up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the fashion sector.
Success Stories
Amadansana Workwear, a small business that has embraced skills development as a powerful tool for growth and sustainability.
The learnership has allowed Bianca to become multi-skilled, a strength that sets her apart. She now operates three different types of sewing machines and has mastered five distinct sewing operations.
The SETA grant didn’t just fund my studies—it opened doors I couldn’t have imagined. In my final year, as one of two winners of the Woolworths Clever Knits Competition, I was awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to London for Graduate Fashion Week.
Domonic Williams joined K-Way Manufacturers in May 2021, starting as a packer before progressing to a line feeder. Her determination and dedication soon opened the door to an exciting opportunity.
For Duncan Msimango and Andile Sigasa, their journey began at Saint Vincent’s School for the Deaf, a place where education planted the seeds of possibility. Both students learned of an exciting new opportunity.