10 Things you should know about Bongiwe Walaza

Bongiwe Walaza is widely known as the YYYY. Here are 10 Things you should know about Bongiwe Walaza.

1. Bongiwe was born in a small community in Mqanduli, in Eastern Cape Province here in South Africa.
2. She grew up enjoying knitting and sewing.
3. Her interest in arts & crafts and passion for making her own clothes was evident from an early age.
4. She learnt to make clothes from her mother’s fabric who was a dressmaker.
5. Bongiwe studied for a National Diploma in electrical engineering at Peninsula Tech from 1987 to 1990.
6. As she was working for Telkom, she began designing and making dresses for herself and soon built a loyal client base.
7. Unhappy with the skill of her dressmaking, in 1997 she decided to study fashion at Natal Technikon.
8. She qualified with a National Diploma in Fashion.
9. She has also been a product developer for Wild Silk Africa while providing training for several of its employees.
10. As a result of her innovative use of fabrics, Walaza also consults closely with renowned local textile company, Da Gama, which is developing a product for their Mandela range.