Celebrate women with SA’s no1 retailer, Ackermans

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Article by Ackermans on BizCommunity

South Africans mark August as a month to celebrate women’s achievements and the important role that women play in our society. Ackermans, South Africa’s leading value retailer, will once again be acknowledging moms, sisters, girlfriends, and female colleagues by celebrating them and what makes them the role models they are today.

This local fashion destination for trend pieces and outfit building basics prides itself on its inclusive sizing and value proposition. With sizes ranging from 26-50 across all lines, and a wide selection of styles to suit every beautiful body shape, finding the perfect fit and garment is effortless.

Ackermans’ denim range features everything from skinny jeans to bootlegs, and in August, the popular Mom jean will be launching too. So no matter what your day entails, whether you’re based at a desk or bending over and chasing after a busy toddler, you’ll find your perfect fit.

Confidence starts with a good foundation, and finding the right bra style and size is easy at Ackermans. In celebration of women’s curves, the retailer has an extensive lingerie department with an affordable price point of R129.99 for two pack T-shirt bra set, and shapewear at R119.99. There is no need to compromise on fit or style going forward.

And before we know it, we’ll be in summer. Ackermans will also be adding new styles to its range of fashionable and classic dresses for all ages toward the end of the month. From toddlers to moms, you’ll find the perfect dress, and because it’s not uncommon to experience a slight chill in the air as we wait to welcome warmer weather, Ackermans has a selection of knitwear, and denim jackets offering trans-seasonal outfit building solutions for all.

To view Ackermans extensive women’s wear and children styles, click here or head to your nearest store.

If you’d like to stay up to date on Ackermans news, visit the website or follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook.

Pre-loved clothing paving a pathway out of poverty for SA women

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Article found on BizCommunity

The ongoing partnership between retailer H&M and social enterprise Clothes to Good (CTG) is helping to create employment for women in need in South Africa.

Founded in Gauteng in 2011, CTG is focused on caring for the environment through the recycling of clothes, and helping people – particularly mothers of children with disabilities – out of poverty.

Among the organisation’s initiatives that tackle issues linked to poverty is its micro-business programme, which currently empowers 108 women – 56 of whom have children with disabilities – to become successful entrepreneurs in their communities by selling recycled, pre-loved clothes. The collections process for these garments is facilitated and supported through H&M and other businesses, schools and financial institutions.

“Clothes to Good and H&M South Africa have an established history, having worked in partnership on several other far-reaching initiatives since 2016,” says CTG founder, Jesse Naidoo. “In 2020, with the enormous socio-economic challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, H&M sought to expand on the collaboration by providing vital funding and support to CTG for its micro-business programme.”

Multi-pronged support

Seeing the initiative as a constructive response to the economic challenges the women faced, H&M became an integral partner of the programme in 2018, supporting mothers of children with disabilities through vital financial assistance, garment collection and therapy intervention.

“Many women and mothers endure the hardship of the economic burden, even more so in lockdowns. Mothers of children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable – often stranded at home and excluded from employment opportunities due to the fact there is no one to care for their children,” says Naidoo.

“These women and mothers are initially introduced to us through our collaboration with Afrika Tikkun before embarking on our full therapy-driven assessment and training programme. As part of the micro-business programme they receive financial literacy and wellness training, general sales training, business support and ongoing mentorship. When they purchase their first 10kg bale of clothing from Clothes to Good they feel empowered and supported to run their own businesses.”

Tammy Greyling, operations director at CTG, adds, “For these women, it is very difficult to find pathways out of poverty. However, by breaking down the barriers to employment for those who need it most, the micro-business project ultimately empowers women to become entrepreneurs in their own communities and then go on to create a chain of employment opportunities.”

Diverting textiles from landfills

“At H&M, we do everything we can to prevent clothing and textiles ending up in landfills. Upcycling, and eventually recycling, is two of many ways to fulfill our goals towards a more sustainable fashion future,” explains Caroline Nelson, H&M South Africa country manager. “In this way, the micro-business programme encompasses far more than driving positive fashion disposal behaviour and environmental awareness. It also views sustainability as a core driver of socio-economic development and upliftment,” she says.

As part of H&M Group’s ambition to become fully circular and climate positive by 2040, all garments and textiles no longer suitable to wear are reused and converted into products. These products include toys for early childhood development used in Clothes to Good’s 123ECD programme and resources for children with disabilities. Clothes that cannot be used in products are shredded into textile fibres used in a variety of industries such as the motor industry and bed manufacturing.

“For the women participating in the micro-business programme the benefits are innumerable,” says Greyling. “These women are now able to provide for their families, put food on the table, pay rent and school fees, grow their individual ventures, create further employment opportunities and have hope for the future. At a further stage, we look forward to expanding the programme from Gauteng to other areas.

How to get involved

Commenting on how the public can support the programme, Nelson says, “We want to make it easy for the consumer to be a part of this vital initiative and make a difference! Look out for our ‘Let’s Change Fashion’ campaign, part of the ongoing H&M global garment collection initiative, which began in 2013. This campaign encourages you to drop your bag of pre-loved and old garments in the recycling box at your local H&M store.

“Every bit of clothing makes a difference and enables you to help to create gainful employment for women in our country’s vulnerable, low-income sector. “

She concludes, “By encouraging customers to recycle their garments, ‘Let’s Change Fashion’ aims to inspire and encourage change. Together, by driving meaningful and long-lasting impact across the entire fashion value chain, we can create sustainable livelihoods, allow women to earn independent incomes and improve their, and their families’, futures.”

StartupStory: Neighbourgood, the coliving and coworking community

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Article written by Evan-Lee Courie on BizCommunity

 

Born out of the pandemic, in July 2020, Neighbourgood was created with the intention to change the landscape of property in South Africa. Tshedza Magugumela, community manager of Neighbourgood, shares more.

Can you tell us a bit about Neighbourgood?

Neighbourgood is a coliving and coworking community, focused on bringing good to neighbourhoods by repurposing space across the city of Cape Town. Since launching the company in July 2020, we now have six living and working spaces in De Waterkant, Green Point, City Bowl, and Woodstock. Our aim is to change the way people live and work, by giving them a world-class network of spaces and a platform to live a good life.

When, how and why did you get started?

Born out of the pandemic, in July 2020, Neighbourgood was created with the intention to change the landscape of property in South Africa. Companies downsized and needed more efficient spaces; people living in apartments were isolated and in search of community, and so it was our mission to be at the forefront of providing a solution for them. Moreover, we wanted to give new hope to the City of Cape Town and South Africa as a whole, by being a shining light at the end of what seemed to be the dark tunnel of the pandemic.

What is the core function of Neighbourgood?

Our core function is centered around providing people with thoughtfully designed, all-inclusive living and working spaces that offer exceptional amenities and a connected community. The beauty of Neighbourgood is that the experience is curated by our team and our members, bringing collaborative ideas to life.

Coworking has been a blossoming trend for some time now. Tell us about the decision to create a coliving environment?

Coliving has been widely adopted all over the world. With Cape Town’s rich history and global perception as a hub for local and foreign travellers alike, the need to give people a place to live was a no-brainer. It’s often said that living in Cape Town feels like living abroad, so who wouldn’t want to feel like their home is a holiday? We’ve got locations for every type of person around the city of Cape Town, so you’re never too far from Neighbourgood.

Who is your target market?

Everyone is welcome at Neighbourgood! From digital nomads, young professionals and grad students, to creatives, entrepreneurs and travelers, we have a spot for you. We thrive on diversity and inclusion, and we love people that love people.

Since inception, what are some of the obstacles you’ve had to overcome?

Giving coliving the space it needs for people to be interested in adopting this lifestyle has required an education process because while co-working has been around for some time in South Africa, the concept of coliving is still new. We see the combination of both as our biggest opportunity. We’re built to provide solutions to the problems our members face.

Running a business during the pandemic has of course been challenging, including the frequent lockdowns, the economic decline as well as launching a brand-new company in the midst of it all. Ultimately, if there is anything Covid has taught us is that we are all searching for community and that’s what our spaces offer. So through all the challenges we have faced, we see an opportunity to help solve a problem and in doing so, bring good to neighbourhoods.

Soon Neighbourgood East City will be launching. Tell us more about this.

Neighbourgood East City is a dynamic coliving space in the heart of Cape Town CBD. As the home of the iconic Townhouse Hotel, its significance in the history of Cape Town is one which we appreciate, and we have chosen to have some of the existing design remain to form part of the new history that we will build here. With 100+ coliving suites, a coworking space, a MasterChef style shared kitchen, a delightful cafe on ground floor (Bread, Milk and Honey), a barbershop, electric scooters, community events and more, Neighbourgood East City is the perfect place for anyone to come and stay with us for a day or for a year.

What’s the criteria for someone wanting to join Neighbourgood?

The criteria is simple: If you’re a good human, you love collaboration over competition, you’re looking for convenience and affordability, and you can add value to our community in even the smallest way, then we want you to come and live or work with us!

Is there anything else you would like to share about Neighbourgood?

Neighbourgood East City officially opened its doors on the 1 August. We are hosting a launch week from 16-20 August and as part of that, we are giving away a free week’s stay for 100 people! If you’ve been looking for a sign to go on holiday, take a staycation or you’d like to experience what being a Neighbourgood member is all about, now is the time! Check out our Instagram page (@neighbourgood_sa) for more information.

For more, go to neighbourgood.co.za.