A 51-year-old Lower Gweru woman in the Midlands Province is earning a living from repurposing seeds and other indigenous pebbles among other indigenous products in her beading business which she started 39 years ago at the age of 12.
Musa Dube operating the fashion and accessories brand named Musa’s Touch makes classic bags, beads and earrings from indigenous paraphernalia.
Dube is a very talented woman self-taught artist who did not undergo any formal beading training but is driven by talent and passion to become a brand to reckon with in the fashion industry.
“The love of unique style and that feeling of breaking boundaries motivated me to start beading, at the age of 12, I just fell in love with beads, just seeing them in shops got me thinking of what I can make out of them.
“I never went to school for beading but it was just talent as you know you can’t teach passion, it comes around when you least expect it,” said Dube.
From being a mere grade 7 pupil passionate about beading at that tender age, Dube now supplies her products locally and internationally.
“I usually sponsor models with all the beaded stuff, I sponsored Miss Midlands show, Miss Zuri Zimbabwe and Miss Orient Zimbabwe.
“I used to make handbags and keyholders selling them to people around the country.
“I used social media to advertise my work and I then hooked up with people as far as America and the United Kingdom who bought my handbags for reselling overseas.
“As time went on, I opened a shop where I am operating from now.
“To be honest with you, I see myself running shops of beaded stuff in major cities of Zimbabwe and my work will continue flying across borders,” she said.
However, Dube bemoaned the coming in of COVID-19 which has slowed the expansion of her business.
“I just hope that this covid 19 pandemic will come to an end because it has really crippled my business with people I used to do business with,” she said.
As an indigenous businesswoman, Dube advised the talented young women out there to soldier on with their work and never give up on their dreams.
“My advice to young women artists is to work hard and never try to be what they are not, keep focused and they should know that shortcuts with never take them anywhere, ” she said.
