Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

04 December 2025

2-minute read

The story behind the stitch is the inspiring tale of local entrepreneur Suraya Williams, the visionary founder of Design26 Pty Ltd and the Design26 Foundation, two purpose-driven initiatives rooted in creativity, community upliftment, and sustainable innovation.

Growing up as the daughter of a painter dad and a factory worker mum on the rough rock-lands of Mitchell’s Plain, Suraya longed for a Barbie Doll; a dream that could never be realised when her mum got retrenched and had to open her own small sewing business.

After spending 14 years pursuing a career in the corporate world, Suraya’s her mum suddenly passed away at the age of 54, followed by her younger brother 3 months later. She had inherited her mother’s sewing machines and other equipment, but it was only when she gave birth to a sick baby a couple of years later that Suraya was spurred on by a friend to start sewing. The first dress she made gave her an out-of-body experience and a few weeks later, she started Design26 Pty Ltd making dresses for matric functions and for weddings and giving one dress away every year to a girl who couldn’t afford it.

Realising that her business wasn’t making much money, Suraya discovered that “you need to be profitable before you are charitable,” so she enrolled at the University of Stellenbosch for a course. Looking to help young women in the community facing challenges like GBV and teenage pregnancies, Suraya’s Design26 Foundation emerged, building pathways for skills development, entrepreneurship, and community transformation, particularly through sewing education and textile waste solutions.

The Foundation empowers these young women, teaches them skills on how to make clothing, gives them employment opportunities, as well as entrepreneurship training in collaboration with other partners. Suraya then tries to employ them in a job at the foundation or assists them in starting their own small business.

Guided by her lived experiences within her own community that is ridden with social problems like drug abuse, violence and poverty, she says that “people are not always going to believe in you because it’s never been done before.” But this has taught that “anything that comes from the heart is guided by Allah.” And should be pursued “resiliently, relentlessly, without looking back,” showing us that challenges can be transformed into purpose, and passion into tangible change.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Suraya Williams here.