When Minenhle Simelane was having trouble finding work after school, he used his grandmother’s mat-making machine to create something genuinely unique: mats out of rubbish.
Simelane creates one-of-a-kind, handcrafted goods from waste plastic, encouraging environmental preservation and sustainability. This is the strong inspiration behind Simelane’s beautiful and vibrant mats, which are created from plastic and other rubbish.
Simelane, a native of rural eShowe who now lives in Durban, graduated from Embizweni High School in 2018.
He decided to use waste materials to make mats as a creative method to support environmental conservation and make ends meet after struggling with unemployment.
Using materials gathered from the roadside, rivers, or landfills, he created these mats using the Imbongolo (mat-making machine), taking inspiration from his grandmother.
He eventually discovered a purpose in turning trashed plastic into exquisite handcrafted goods, which enable him to earn a living while addressing the startling amount of plastic usage.
This year, Simelane has taken on four employees to help him grow his firm in response to the growing demand for mats.
“Trash has created jobs and brought smiles to their faces,” he said.
An organisation, Woza Moya, makes his mats available for the public to see and buy at the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT) in support of Simelane’s journey of utilising art to protect the environment.
He intends to expand his company and create further job opportunities in the future, driven by the rising demand for his environmentally friendly goods.
Source: https://www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/minenhle-colourful-plastic-mats/
Editor’s note: Minenhle Simelane’s journey shows how creativity and resilience can transform hardship into opportunity. Faced with unemployment, he didn’t give up—he invented a sustainable business from resources most people overlook: waste.
Description: After struggling to find work, Simelane turned to his grandmother’s mat-making machine and began crafting vibrant mats from discarded plastic. Now based in Durban, the eShowe native is building a sustainable business that fights pollution and creates jobs, proving that one person’s trash can truly become another’s treasure.
Editor: Thato Mahlangu
Project manager: Do4SA
