KZN Woman Who Hand-Paints Sneakers Opens Up About How the Passing of Her Mother 1 Month Ago Impacted Her

• A highly skilled woman in KZN who hand-paints sneakers and other items has reflected on how the passing of her mother has affected her and the business she has
• The hard-working woman tells Briefly News that she initially operated in Johannesburg, Gauteng but moved back home after her mom died
• Thobile Ntuli used only R500 to start her sneaker painting hustle after leaving the entertainment industry due to the instability of work in the field

Thobile Ntuli is a talented woman in Verulam town in KZN who is trying her best to soldier on with her sneaker painting business after the passing of her mom one month ago, on 12 July 2023.

The hard-working lady previously told Briefly News that she started her business, called Luthi Creatives, in 2018, painting shoes, hats, bags, shirts, and more, after leaving the entertainment industry due to career instability.

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The KZN lady who paints sneakers greatly misses her mother

Thobile notes that her mother was acclaimed for her beadwork and supported her greatly, especially since both women were incredibly creative:

“My mom, named Njabulo Magwaza, was a huge part of the business and I took all her creative juices as she was good with beads. She made beads for most TV shows and we are still going to see her last work on the show 1802 playing on DSTV.

“It seems like I am losing a lot of walk-in clients, which is the core of my business. I’m still trying to find my feet here in KZN, and there might be changes in how I run the business. I’ll soldier on. If those changes come to life, I will post them on the Luthi Creatives social media pages.”

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The talented lady from KZN shares her business growth

Despite grieving the loss of her mother, Thobile is still grateful for all the growth her business has seen over the years:

“My clientele grew and I also got a chance to be part of a project that customised a brand of sneakers for the Netball World Cup 2023 fan sneakers, and the team South Africa executives.”

The 41-year-old faces various obstacles but continues to persevere with her business, noting that people often refuse to pay for the full price of the items they’d like:

“People have a high expectation to pay less and claim ‘it’s a bulk order’, or expect me to work on their products so they can go to their markets and sell them. However, I am firm on what I provide and can do, while keeping in mind customer service.”

The KZN creative shares her future ambitions, opening up about a noble pursuit she has:

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“Besides opening a school in my village and teaching young stars my art, I’m looking forward to taking my business to international markets across the world.”

After struggling to find work, KZN graduate thrives with catering business

In another story, Briefly News wrote about a young lady, who has struggled to find gainful employment in her field of study, and is grinding hard with her catering business.

The Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies graduate makes the most delicious food, catering for various events.

Source: Briefly News