Johannesburg – The story of Sinenhlanhla Ndlovu is that of courage and triumph over adversity.
The life journey of the 28-year-old Durbanite, who hails from the sprawling township of uMlazi, was an emotional roller-coaster ride filled with twists and turns.
She was dumped as a newborn and never knew her parents.
She is also a rape survivor.
Ndlovu, whose first name Sinenhlanhla is an IsiZulu word meaning “we’re lucky”, grew up in an orphanage.
This was where she says her resilient character was shaped.
“I grew up in a children’s home called Wylie House located in Overport. It is not easy growing up without knowing your parents, especially your mother.
“As a young girl, I would create false pictures in my head just imagining how my mother looked. It was my coping mechanism. The fact that every kid at school had a chance of being loved by their parents tore me apart,” she said.
Ndlovu was eventually adopted by an elderly woman whom she fondly calls uGogo uMaNdlovu.
It was the warm hands of uMaNdlovu that moulded and nurtured her into a responsible young woman.
“Even at this age, I still call myself ingane kagogo [granny’s child] because she is the one who raised me and treated me like her own daughter.
“Though we were not well off, we mainly survived through my grandmother’s income as a domestic worker. She gave me the motherly love I had craved for since I was a child.” Ndlovu went on to complete her matric and subsequently pursued her post-matric studies, obtaining a diploma in media studies and journalism.
She soon joined a long list of unemployed graduates battling to make ends meet.
With old age getting the better of her grandmother, she had to step up and provide financial relief to the household.
That was when she got a job as a domestic worker in the nearby suburbs, assisting with child minding and house chores.
She also worked part-time for a production company specialising in sauce processing and manufacturing of beauty products.
Last year, Ndlovu was lucky to land herself a teacher assistant position in the much-publicised government’s youth employment drive.
This opportunity proved to be the fuel that she needed to set in motion her teenage dream of becoming her own boss and contributing to job-creation.
“I knew that the teacher assistants’ positions were only temporary. So, when my contract ended, I used the savings to establish my own business focusing on manufacturing sauces and beauty products. I also used the experience I gained while working part-time to start my own business,” she said.
The township-inspired sauce, which she calls “Sauced eKasi”, is currently on demand at shisanyama businesses across Durban townships. Ndlovu, who runs her business from home, pleads for the government or private sector to assist her expand.
“My dream is to expand and to supply the mainstream retail shops. I also need assistance to have a bigger place, which will serve as a processing plant.”
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