The eThekwini Municipality Helps to Save a Clothing Brand

 By Fred Felton | Apr. 23, 2022

Dudu Ngubane a fashion entrepreneur lost stock and equipment amounting to nearly R300 000. Thanks to the eThekwini Municipality her plans of turning her clothing label into a bigger South African brand are back on track. 

Dudu Ngubane was helped with exposure for her brand at the Durban Business Fair. Photo: Fred Felton

DU Confidence Designs is owned by Ngubane. The company has modern print wear, is proudly African and provides clothing for the fuller figured woman. Thanks to the City's Umkhumbane Entrepreneurial Support Centre the company is now back in full operation. The Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) assisted Ngubane with applying for financing. Ngubane was also helped with exposure for her brand at the Durban Business Fair 2021. 

She is excited to be back in operation thanks to the eThekwini Municipality helping with assistance to facilitate funding for affected businesses at the Umkhumbane Centre by providing access to finance at SEFA. 

''I am grateful to have benefitted from the assistance, which is a 60 percent grant funding and 40 percent loan,'' said Dudu Ngubane. 

Thanks to the grant Ngubane bought fabric, branding material and 12 sewing machines. Thanks to this assistance she has managed to keep on 8 staff and employed six more staff which amounts to 14 staff members. 

''The exposure I received at the Durban Business Fair also assisted my business,'' said Ngubane. 

Ngubane was further assisted by the eThekwini Municipality through the Municipality's Business Support Tourism, Markets and Agri-Business Unit by helping her to get profiled on the Business Day TV show, Hustlers Corner South Africa. The host of this show is entrepreneur DJ Sbu Leope. Ngubane feels this additional business exposure helped her business grow. 

''We are also encouraging people to buy locally produced goods and services to support local business and save jobs,'' said eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda. 

DU Confidence Designs now supplies clothing to The Space shops located in Gateway Shopping Mall in Umhlanga, Cavendish Square in Cape Town, Mall of Africa and Rosebank Mall in Gauteng.