It’s a hustle and bustle at Woza Moya on a Friday, our busiest day of the week!

The beaders arrive…

Friday is the day our regular beaders travel in by mini-bus taxi to bring us the beadwork they’ve been working on all week. Many bring their children or grandchildren along as there’s no one at home to look after the kids and childcare is unaffordable.

There is an air of excitement…

Life can be hard for these women, but they arrive well-dressed and jovial. The air vibrates with their chatter and laughter, and once in a while a song breaks out.

Some of crafters have been working with Woza Moya since day one. That’s nearly 21 years! They make the beaded jewellery and little travellers that Woza Moya is so well known for. Zulu beadwork at its best!

It’s hard to believe the quality of work they produce under difficult working conditions with limited space and often limited light.

We encourage creativity…

The creativity is incredible. We encourage the beaders to design and produce new products. Some of the results have been amazing and you can see the beader’s personality shine through.

Making good use of their trips into town…

Taxi fares are expensive, so they combine their trip to Hillcrest with a visit to the grocery store and other errands. They might shop at the Woza Moya white elephant charity shop to buy second-hand goods to resell in their communities as a side hustle.

Buying beads from Woza Moya…

The crafters stock up on the beads they need to complete their work for the following week. Woza Moya buys these beads from wholesalers in Durban central and sells them to the beaders at the purchase price (we do not make a profit on these beads, but instead provide a service to beaders saving them the taxi cost into Durban).

We need your support…

We, at Woza Moya, rely on your support to keep these talented, hard-working women earning. Your orders and shop purchases allow us to hand out new work each week, giving the promise of another week of income. An income desperately needed to put food on their tables and take care of their children and other dependents.