Suraya Williams, a South African entrepreneur building an impact-driven clothing manufacturing business

Startup Story

In South Africa, clothing manufacturing has always played an important role in the local economy, creating jobs and developing skills. Today, Suraya Williams, founder of Design26 (Pty) Ltd, is carrying on the legacy of her late mother by transforming a clothing manufacturing business to a CMT (cut-make-trim) operation, creating skilled jobs in the process.

LoA spoke to Suraya about her inspiration and her mission to provide opportunities for disadvantaged teenage girls to learn key skills as seamstresses and empower themselves through meaningful work.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Suraya Williams and I am the Director/Founder of Design26 and Design26 Foundation (South Africa). I am a social entrepreneur and award winning business leader. My business is highly focused on delivering a quality service in custom-made matric ball and wedding dresses, ladies ready-to-wear clothing, as well as skills development to disadvantaged teenage girls. I started the business 7 years ago as a legacy to my late mother and today I employ 5 seamstresses on a temporary basis, all of these women being from local communities. I have 14 years’ experience in the corporate environment followed by 7 years on the job business experience.

“We are the only small manufacturing company in Mitchell's Plain to provide free training to teenage mothers and underprivileged girls and also being able to offer them possible employment.”

What does your company do?

We manufacture ladies ready-to-wear clothing and provide a specialized service in custom-made matric ball dresses. As part of our company's social responsibility we also provide free sewing skills training to teenage mothers and under privileged girls. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have innovated and adapted from manufacturing custom-made dresses to transforming our operation to a CMT (cut-make-trim) now manufacturing re-usable cloth masks or any other products.

What inspired you to start your company?

It was always a dream of my late mother who was a renowned designer and dressmaker in our local community that I take over and follow in my mothers’ footsteps. Like any headstrong teenager I pursued a career in the corporate world. It was only after the passing of my mother and three months later my brother, when I discovered my true gift and talent through making special occasion dresses for family and friends. “To Be Born With A Gift So Talented Yet Certified By God”. With this in mind, I reincarnated a dream.

“I consider myself to be more of a social entrepreneur because of my passion for my community and wanting to uplift women in it, giving women the opportunity to become self-sustainable and independent.”

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Convenience: We offer our clients the convenience of consultations out of normal office hours to accommodate our working customers. We also offer our customers a lay buy payment option upon ordering a custom-made matric ball or wedding dress.

Exclusivity: With our ready-to-wear clothing we only manufacture 26 of a style which makes our garments unique and exclusive.

Emotion: Our customers are always sparked with happiness and highly satisfied with our product because "She cares what you Wear”. We are also the only small manufacturing company in Mitchell's Plain to provide free training to teenage mothers and underprivileged girls and also being able to offer them possible employment.

Tell us a little about your team

Our team consists of 6 very committed and hard working women including myself and one who was on our training programme. All of our employees are currently employed on a temporary basis. Being the only Director of our company, I am in charge and run the daily administrative duties and operation.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

Both of my parents became entrepreneurs in their late 30s. When I started the business, I had 14 years’ experience in the corporate environment and no business entrepreneur experience. After my mother passed away and 3 months after her my brother was killed, I suffered a great loss and thought I could replace the loss with a third baby. After my baby was born, he was constantly sick and hospitalized. During one of the times I was at home with him, my cousin approached me to make her daughter a 21st dress. I first refused to make the dress and told her I did not know how. She was adamant and did not accept no as an answer, and instead she referred to the two machines I inherited from my late mother collecting dust in my garage. She ended up leaving her fabric. Weeks went by and one Saturday morning I decided to give it a try with the thought if I do happen to mess up her fabric, I did tell her I don't know how. I used old newspaper and with what I could remember from the days I spent watching my mother making dreams come true with her hard work. When I finished the dress I was amazed and it felt like I had an outer body experience. Right there something inside of me changed. I felt a sense of being close to my mother, I felt blessed because I had no tertiary education in designing nor did I ever work in a clothing manufacturing environment but I was able to make someone smile and happy with my handiwork. During my first year of business I sold my clothing at flea-markets and was faced with having to compete against cheap imports. I sold a lot of garments but I was not making money. I also donated a matric ball dress for the first two years free to an underprivileged girl in my community. In 2015, I attended the University of Stellenbosch Small Business Academy where I learnt proper costing, marketing, and an understanding that before you can be charitable you need to be profitable. I was determined to grow my business and attended more workshops and networking sessions to learn more about the industry and make valuable connections.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

We want to be the first one-stop, custom made, special occasion dress shop in Mitchell's Plain with our own in-house manufacturing plant and training facility. With a unique selling proposition of an integrated concept of personal style services and assistance, special occasion services such as beauty makeup artist, hairstylist, complimentary accessories, and spa treatments conveniently available under one roof. These services will occupy space in the boutique and will be out-sourced to highly professionals. With our own CMT plant it means having the ability to quickly respond and launch new products and react to the rapid changes in the clothing and fashion industry.

“It gives me a great feeling of satisfaction when my customers collect their special occasion dress and I am able to share in their emotion, being part of a journey to making their special evening a fairy-tale.”

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

I consider myself to be more of a social entrepreneur because of my passion for my community and wanting to uplift women in it. Giving women the opportunity to become self-sustainable and independent. It gives me a great feeling of satisfaction when my customers collect their special occasion dress and I am able to share in their emotion, being part of a journey to making their special evening a fairy-tale. Being able to make my customer happy, giving hope of a second chance to young girls in my community and substitute as a role model to those with a passion for clothing manufacturing.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

Never give up, no matter how lonely or impossible it may seem at times, wait until it's done. One very important thing you have to learn about being an entrepreneur is that you have to work hard, put in the hours and always show up! Be committed to your passion and follow your dream not money.

Contact or follow Design26

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL  info@design26.co.za

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Why LoA loves it….

Women entrepreneurs who make a difference through their businesses are gifted with both success and satisfaction, knowing that what they are doing is positively impact the lives of others. Suraya Williams is one entrepreneur who understands this completely, and she is building a business that is not only serving the needs of her customers in the local marketplace, but also creating skilled opportunities for other young women who need an opportunity in life.  — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa