Free State Pensioner Spins Wool on a DIY Bicycle Wheel

• An elderly Free State woman wowed viewers by spinning raw sheep's wool into yarn using a spinning wheel built from a repurposed bicycle wheel
• The video was shared by nonprofit Imla Empower, which uses traditional skills to support community development and a children's feeding programme
• South Africans flooded the comments calling the wool-spinning skill rare and urging others to learn and preserve it

An elderly woman from the Free State has captured the hearts of South Africans after a video of her spinning raw sheep's wool into yarn using a homemade spinning wheel went viral online. The clip, shared by nonprofit organisation Imla Empower, shows the pensioner, known as Mme Maki, seated calmly at a spinning apparatus built from a repurposed bicycle wheel mounted on a wooden frame.

Raw wool sits in a green basin beside her as she works the wheel with quiet confidence, twisting the fibres into yarn with the kind of steady hand that only comes from years of practice. A younger Imla Empower staff member, dressed in a tan uniform and bucket hat, watches closely and assists where needed. The warmth between the two is clear throughout.

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A dying craft that still has so much to give

The video also shows finished woven textile products displayed on a loom-like frame outdoors, suggesting the spun wool goes directly into handcrafted goods produced by the organisation. Imla Empower uses the clip to call on the public to volunteer their time for skills-sharing or to donate towards a children's feeding programme the nonprofit runs.

What struck many viewers most was not just the skill itself, but how close it is to disappearing entirely. The sight of an elder preserving a craft that most younger South Africans have never encountered sparked a wave of admiration and longing in the comments. Mme Maki's steady hands and the clever ingenuity of the DIY spinning wheel are a reminder that some of the most valuable knowledge does not come from a classroom, and that the people who hold it deserve far more recognition than they often receive.

Watch the Instagram video below:

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Mzansi reacts to Mme Maki's rare skill

People were moved, inspired, and in some cases, genuinely desperate to learn. South Africans had plenty to say after watching the clip:

Sakhile_moremi1:

"Scarce skill. 😩😩😩🙏🏾"

Nandiphageza said:

"The things that we need that have become rare nowadays."

Mlady482 shared:

"Buy her another machine; this is really good, and she can create many jobs for a lot of people."

Daltsupply said:

"I need to learn this skill as soon as possible. I hate being dependent."

Godisang_simply commented:

"How long had Mme Maki been spinning wool? ❤️"

Cebohm Khanyile shared:

"Skills I wish I learnt in school."

Thembar90 said:

"We need her in our communities."

Unik.k requested:

"Can she teach us?"

3 Other Briefly News stories about pensioners

• More than 200 pensioners gathered at a SASSA office in Mitchells Plain to demand their monthly grant be increased to R5,000.
• A Johannesburg pensioner has lost more than R1.2 million after falling victim to a sophisticated WhatsApp scam involving a fake airline promotion.
• A grandfather from KwaZulu-Natal has claimed a massive R12.7 million jackpot from the Lotto Plus 2 draw, which took place on Saturday, 10 January 2026.

Source: Briefly News