Mom opens the first baby essentials store in Khayelitsha

When Zandile Tlhapi, a resident of Khayelitsha, was pregnant with her second child in 2016, she thought of an idea that would change the lives of local moms. Instead of traveling to town to purchase baby essentials like clothes or toys, she wanted to open a convenience store for these moms.

In June 2018, Tlhapi did just that. She resigned from her job as a boilermaker, and used her family’s spare room and stocked it with baby clothes. Now, the shop, Baby Friendly, is packed with baby clothes ranging from newborn to 24 months of age.

Baby-Friendly, New Frame

She also keeps toys like walkers that parents can hire out and bring back when the baby does not need them.

She also buys unused clothes from parents who never got the opportunity to dress their children in them.

Tlhapi’s dream is to expand into manufacturing and grow her business by producing quality products for one of the largest townships in South Africa.

The aim for her is quality because she believes that even if the community is poor, they still deserve quality products for their children.

Baby-Friendly, New Frame

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