With nearly 50% of South Africans under 34 unemployed, many are turning to skilled trades like shoe and accessory making. Award-winning leather crafter Sebogodi Abraham Malefetsa is part of this rising movement.
00:00As a child, Sibukhoudi Abraham Malefetza had trouble carrying his book safely to school
00:08because he didn't have a sturdy school bag.
00:11Today, his durable leatherware, made in South Africa, is world-class,
00:16a reality he never would have imagined as a teenager growing up in the township.
00:21At home, we had this big suitcase, an old one, filled with discarded clothes and bags.
00:28I stumbled upon an old canvas bag.
00:31I customized it using hand needles to fit my books.
00:35It was not the most elegant solution, but it worked.
00:40But before we dive deeper into his humble beginnings, let's take a look at how Sibukhoudi works.
00:46For making a backpack, you need a scissor, a square ruler.
00:50It's depending on which color you use for canvas.
00:53Sometimes, if you use khaki, you can use a pencil to mark it.
00:58If you use navy, you can use this job to mark it so that you can't miss your measurement where you go with your stitch.
01:06You need a proper leather, like italicene leather.
01:08The design is rather minimalistic because Sibukhoudi's focus is on durability.
01:15Quality and workmanship are the most important factors.
01:19Whether it's belts, bags or shoes, everything is handmade from 100% South African leather.
01:25What makes my products stand out is that the quality of our materials.
01:34We use a proper canvas cotton that no one can use.
01:39It's not easy to be found.
01:41You have to know exactly suppliers for this fabric.
01:45It's durable.
01:46The quality is top-nose, yeah.
01:49The quality is first class, even for the discerning clientele in Johannesburg's creative Maboneng district.
01:56When he still had to sew his own bag in the township, he would never have imagined that he would one day end up here in the chic city center.
02:04Sibukhoudi started his journey in Kuzon, a township west of Johannesburg, a place marked by poverty, unemployment and limited opportunity.
02:13There, with a few friends, he opened the first clothing shop in the neighborhood.
02:18Being penniless and without formal training was not his only challenge.
02:23Sibukhoudi is hearing impaired.
02:25I never let my hearing impairment help me back.
02:30It's fooled me to be where I am today.
02:33Despite my disability of hearing, I know that I'm a winner.
02:38I'm creative.
02:39I'm doing the most.
02:41Being the creative director of his own studio, with clients all over the world, he wants to satisfy them with quality.
02:49This includes his use of leather from African Game Skins in Kelvin.
02:53I normally ask my customers, like, if you come maybe looking for a leather, I normally ask them, what kind of a leather are you looking for or what are you going to make?
03:01So that I can give you maybe the proper thing.
03:04Let's say, for instance, you want to make maybe your wallets.
03:09Wallets on this one is a bit harder to do like a wallet.
03:13So I normally ask people, what kind of shoes or fellies?
03:17Then the people can have that idea.
03:19From the very beginning, Sibukhoudi had this one idea of working with leather.
03:24His long path to the precision and craftsmanship he displays today was not easy.
03:30I started to fall in love with leather crafting because of the bag, because of the school bag.
03:36I used to carry bag while I was selling my T-shirt.
03:41I have a taste of the bag, my legs.
03:43And in 2018, I won an award for Township Entrepreneur and Kitchen Booster.
03:51In 2019, I had an opportunity to go to college to study fashion designer.
03:57And during 2019, it was so difficult for me.
04:02And I decided to take business officially serious.
04:05Then I dropped out of college.
04:092020, I registered at Sibukhoudi House of Leather.
04:13It was after college then.
04:16Sibukhoudi's story is part of a bigger shift.
04:19More and more young South Africans are turning to skilled trades,
04:23not just out of necessity, but by choice.
04:25Nearly 50% of South Africans under 34 are unemployed, even those with degrees.
04:32Yes, we met in college.
04:34And ever since I met him, it has been an amazing experience.
04:39I found myself at the things I really like doing.
04:43And I couldn't imagine I can do things like this.
04:47Here I am making my people proud.
04:50And I'm proud to say he played his role.
04:53Government programs, like the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative and Houting Tourism,
04:59are now investing in vocational skills and entrepreneurship.
05:02For many, craftsmanship is more than just a job.
05:06It's a way to reclaim dignity and build something of their own.
05:10We've helped him with admin.
05:13We've helped him with sales and marketing.
05:16In return, he has helped us with the crafting skills because we've got to learn that from him.
05:20Yeah, we're learning a lot from him.
05:24Having arrived in the city center, this township boy has retained his ideals and ideas,
05:30confidence, perseverance, quality, and craftsmanship.
05:35What began with a broken school bag is now a symbol of hope.
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