For Richtek’s budding entrepreneur, crochet is more than simply creating beautiful garments with wool and a hook. It is a story of heritage, creativity, resilience and the determination to turn a skill passed down through generations into a sustainable business. The second year Office Administration student, Thobekile Biyela is the young entrepreneur behind Crochet by Kayise Designs, a clothing brand she established in 2023. She recently stepped into a much bigger stage as she represented the College at the Inter-College Entrepreneurship Competition, where she showcased her business, creativity and entrepreneurial vision.
Her inspiration began close to home where she was inspired by the crochet skills of her grandmother, who used her hands and creativity to make clothing for her children when buying clothes was not always affordable. What was once a way of providing for the family became, a valuable skill that could be transformed into an entrepreneurial opportunity. That vision is reflected in Crochet by Kayise Designs, which creates a wide range of handmade clothing and accessories, including dresses, jerseys, swimwear, ruffle hats, bucket hats, tops, two piece sets, crop tops and scrunchies. The brand aims to create pieces that allow people to express their individuality while embracing the uniqueness of handmade fashion.
For Biyela, inclusivity is very important and her target market includes the youth, LGBTQ+ community particularly within the Richtek Campus and surrounding community. Being a student gives her a direct connection to her market and an opportunity to understand what young people want. However building a business while studying hasn’t been easy. One of her biggest challenges is access to finance and the availability of raw materials. Shortages of wool can affect production and cause delays, while competition from established retailers such as Mr Price, H&M and online stores such as Shein puts additional pressure on a small emerging business. Rather than allowing these challenges to discourage her, Biyela sees them as lessons in resilience. She believes that buying stock in bulk and securing financial assistance could help her increase production and operate more efficiently.
Her journey to the competition has also been strengthened by the support she received from her lecturers, mentors and Student Support Services. One of her lecturers even sponsored the wool she needed to create her competition outfit. “I am excited about the competition because it has been teaching me new things and has given my business big growth,” she added.
Beyond winning, Biyela sees the competition as an opportunity to learn from entrepreneurs who are further along in their journeys, expose her brand to new audiences and gain valuable experience. However, if she does take the top prize, she believes the victory would be more than a personal achievement. It would demonstrate that dedication, commitment and hard work can turn an idea into something meaningful.
She also hopes her success could inspire greater opportunities for art, culture and entrepreneurship programmes at the College. Her message to fellow students is simple but powerful, “Don’t wait for opportunities, build something of your own.” Biyela believes students should explore their talents and business ideas instead of relying solely on financial support. Her own story is proof of what can happen when a traditional skill meets a modern entrepreneurial mindset.
Biyela won’t only be competing with a crochet business, she will be carrying a family legacy, a College community behind her and a dream of turning Crochet by Kayise Designs into a thriving brand. From the hands of her grandmother to the entrepreneurial stage, Thobekile Biyela is crocheting her own path to success.
