News24 | WATCH | ‘People need to get their hands dirty’: How AFRICANMAKE is changing Tembisa

Moabelo Nzimande creates furniture from discarded tyres.

The dirtier his hands get, the happier Moabelo Nzimande becomes.

The 35-year-old spends his days turning waste into furniture.

“I wanted to show the youth of Tembisa that there is potential in our waste,” he told News24.

In 2015, he started AFRICANMAKE, a company that makes furniture exclusively from discarded car tyres.

The Vaal University of Technology graduate found himself in a tight spot 10 years ago.

He had a diploma in information technology, but couldn’t secure a job after completing his internship as a junior software developer.

“People need to get their hands dirty and be creative while making a living.”

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That is the foundation of AFRICANMAKE - taking something from nothing.

Tables, chairs, plant pots, cooler boxes and key chains are all part of his catalogue.

Beyond the financial incentive, Nzimande’s goal is to inspire young people to contribute to the country’s economy through innovation and entrepreneurship, while safeguarding the environment.

“It is important for us to recycle and have a positive social impact on our environment,” he said.

He believes that students graduating from universities should have the skills to transform waste into value, enabling them to navigate the limited job market.

AFRICANMAKE runs training programmes that teach people how to upcycle materials, such as scrap tyres, into valuable products.

“I’m trying to send out a message to say to the African, make something.”