Designer and entrepreneur Themba Mantshiyo transforming individuals through art
By Edward Tsumele
When designer, business mentor and entrepreneur Themba Mantshiyo registered his company TMDS Africa in 2012, he did so in Pretoria on December 12 at exactly 12noon.
When he looks back tracing his footsteps so far, he believes that he is not moving alone on this entrepreneurial journey as he believes that God is with him as he embarks on this journey that he says will see him train 12 million entrepreneurs in the creative sector in the next 10 years.
His company, which is based at the Business Clinic in Newtown at the Media Mill building, has been training entrepreneurs in the creative sector, in different disciplines of the arts, including design, using mainly readily available materials such as the clothes people no longer want to wear, but which can be repurposed and given a new lease on life through the innovative hands, meticulous mind and a creative brain of an entrepreneur who has been well trained to think broadly.
“Often creatives sometimes struggle to get in expensive material whereas all they need to do is to look at things around them, especially old things that they no longer need and think about how they could re-use such material to create beautiful art objects. An art object could be a couch, a table or even a bench.
Art has the ability to transform societies, and can deal holistically with some of the ills in society such as Gender Based Violence. Things like Gender Based Violence, which is definitely a scourge in our society, are actually a manifestation of a bigger problem. That is why campaigns that have been planned and executed often fail to have longevity with regards to finding permanent solutions to problems because these campaigns often fall short as they are designed for a short term and often only target symptoms, and not real the causes of such behavior by people.
Through my company we want to use art training through our workshops, and not only to create job opportunities for people, but also to transform them as individuals. So far the workshops have been a success and our wish is to get assistance from corporates and those with the means so that we can hold more art training workshops for entrepreneurs in the creative sector. For every R12 000 that we get, we guarantee to create 4 jobs,” the entrepreneur told CITYLIFE/ARTS in an interview this week.
His latest creation, a series bracelet design each telling a particular story has been well received in the market as the series raises awareness about the scourge of Gender Based Violence in society as it is linked to a campaign called Ubuntu Armor, that his campaign designed and is executing through selling this bracelet.
The idea of the bracelet started in 2018, but the product itself was launched in 2019 by his company TMDS Africa.
Mantshiyo got into the design space through a design course he completed in North West, that saw him pursue more design skills at the University of Johannesburg, before leaving to work overseas, including in Italy and New York, in the US. I could have stayed there, but I decided to come back home and assist in the transformation of society through what I am doing right now.;
“The journey has not been easy, especially because of the lack of resources, and we are therefore appealing to especially corporates to partner with us in this journey of transforming individuals through the arts.
Every 12 000 bracelets sold under the campaign will help employ 4 women. Employment opportunities open up financial freedom which also promote independence. Each bracelet tells a different story and serves as a reminder that we exist because of others and without a connection to self or nature, our reality is open to destruction. Take a pledge today and protect her.https://tmds.africa/” he appealed.