Every August on the occasion of Women's Day in South Africa we celebrate inspirational women in our community. This year we are featuring Tatenda Creations by Catherine Chomura Mutambisi.

Read more about Catherine's fabulous teddy creations and her incredible story - knitting and supporting her family all while having lost one eye to cancer.

Enroute to the Glamorizta showroom in Fourways, our attention was captured by colourful teddy bears adorning the roadside. Hard on brakes, as everyone needs a squeezable cute teddy bear, we stopped. We were greeted by a smiley Catherine, who proudly introduced the adorable wooly fauna.

Catherine, the owner of Tatenda Creations, is a smart Entrepreneur and crazy talented Crocheter. 

The crochet teddies are beautifully and skilfully crafted. When our friend had a baby finding a gift was easy…which teddy to pick was hard tough!

Catherine's Story

In 2013 Catherine was diagnosed with eye cancer. In February 2014, she underwent surgery but lost her right eye including her eye lid, as the entire eye was affected. Since, Catherine has been out of a job and a steady flow of income. 

Catherine has always been crafty and so she started to learn how to make crochet teddies. In 2019 she set up shop on the street to support her family. Catherine is a single mother of four beautiful children and supports her mother and sisters.

She is the only breadwinner in the family, and it’s been hard to make ends-meet especially during Covid-19. Catherine’s sole source of income is the little she makes from the teddies. Every single teddy is lovingly handmade and takes hours to craft. 

Experience the Magic

We started working with Catherine because we want everyone to experience Catherine’s adorable teddies and want her to reach a wider audience. Our aim is for Catherine’s business to become a reliable and steady source of income so that she can support her family.

Support your Community

• Buying a teddy: Do you need a teddy for your children or as a gift? Why not head over to get in touch with Catherine? It might be a bit more cumbersome then heading to your local store, as Catherine does not have a fixed shop or shopping hours, but every Rand will support her and her family directly.  
• Donating spare wool: Do you have spare wool and don't know what to do with it? How about donating it to Catherine (yes, the materials are very expensive and eat up a high percentage of her income).

You can get in touch with Catherine here:

• Contact number: 0731150589
• Facebook: Tatenda Creations

Copyright by Glamorizta. All photos taken by Glamorizta.