The residents of Mangata in Botlokwa, Limpopo, have hailed local entrepreneur Paulina Ramusi as a beacon of community development.
In a transformative move, Ramusi repurposed an old liquor store that belonged to her late father-in-law into a thriving factory, providing jobs to nearly 20 locals and breathing new life into the area.
The company manufactures school uniforms, personal protective clothing, security company uniforms and traditional clothing.
Ramusi’s dream was made possible by the support that she received from the department of trade, industry and competition (DTIC) through one of its agencies, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). The funding was for the purchase of machinery.
This enabled the company to increase its production capacity and become a job catalyst in Botlokwa.
The support was part of the Retail-Clothing, Textiles, Footwear, and Leather Master Plan by the DTIC. The objective of the plan is to stimulate the growth of the clothing and textile industry to create jobs, grow the economy and replace imports, through improving competitiveness, technology, skills and transformation, among other things.
Ramusi’s Ntema Investments is among almost 160 businesses that have received funding through the Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leather Growth Programme which was launched in 2022 by the DTIC.
“I do not doubt that government support through the clothing and textile master plan can stimulate township and rural economy, create jobs and eliminate poverty. We are an example of the amount of positive impact that this support can have on the village people,” said Ramusi, a former mathematics and science teacher.
Almost all of her employees, 15 of whom are youth, possessed no qualifications, experience or skills before being employed by the company.
“The training that we provide to our employees has gone a long way in equipping our employees with the necessary skills and knowledge. As a result of the continuous training, our production has increased tremendously,” said Ramusi.
“We are continuously receiving big orders from schools and members of the community.”
Ramusi is planning to create more job opportunities as she will be expanding her business due to the increased demand for her products in Mangata and surrounding villages of Botlokwa.
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