Thirteen-year-old Lethabo Mntambo, a Grade 7 learner from Waverley, Johannesburg, has a natural eye for fashion and a talent for turning everyday waste into creative designs. In her spare time, she knits, sews clothes for dolls, and makes handbags using scrap paper and other leftover materials. 

When her school announced a career day where learners were asked to dress to represent a profession, Lethabo knew exactly what she wanted to be — a fashion designer. And true to her style, she decided to make her outfit from materials that might otherwise have been overlooked or discarded. 

At home, her mother, Gladys, had a pile of Checkers Sixty60 delivery bags set aside for recycling. Lethabo saw an opportunity. Using black bags, newspaper, and a stapler, she got to work. She pleated, folded, and shaped the materials by hand - without using any glue - and turned what most would call trash into a stylish dress.

With her creativity and clear sense of purpose, Lethabo is already thinking like a designer - one who knows how to do a lot with very little.

“When I grow up, I want to design everything from bags to shoes and clothing using all types of materials.”

- Lethabo Mntambo (13), a Grade 7 learner from Waverley, Johannesburg

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