In many decor and fabric showrooms, samples have a limited life. They are displayed, admired, and eventually replaced with new collections. What happens to the old samples is not always considered.
But sometimes waste becomes the starting point for something new.
The story of The Bag Ladies began during the COVID-19 lockdown, when textile crafter Regina Sitimela started experimenting with surplus showroom fabric samples from TSF Textiles, a South African textile supplier known for its premium quality interior fabrics.
Working from her home in Alexandra, Sandton, Regina began hand stitching prototype pouches and bags using fabric samples that would otherwise have gone to waste.
Those first one-of a kind pieces became Goodwill Bags for TSF’s customers in 2020. What started as a thoughtful year end gift soon sparked something bigger
The Bag Ladies developed their signature Luxury Tote that combines design, function, and sustainability, as they carefully select a unique outer fabric with a complementary inner lining fabric chosen for texture and comfort. Most bags are one-of-a-kind, depending on how much of a particular fabric is still available.
A creative collaboration
Product development is a collaborative process.
Regina Sitimela works alongside Roselina Matlejwane, who contributes to styling, design development and fabric selection. Brand originator, Anton Siebrits, provides creative direction.
Together they continue to expand the range while exploring new fabric combinations from TSF’s extensive archive of samples.
TSF has long collaborated with designers, architects and interior specialists across Southern Africa. The Bag Ladies project adds another layer to that ecosystem by extending the life of textile samples and deadstock fabrics while supporting local makers and designers.
Scaling production through Enterprise Development
In 2024, TSF Textiles partnered with the Remake Programme, part of the social-impact nonprofit group Taking Care of Business (TCB).
The Remake Programme supports local sewists in building their own small, mostly informal, businesses through skills development, business training, production opportunities and mentorship.
Through this partnership, The Bag Ladies’ designs can now be produced by a network of skilled Remake sewists under licence. This allows the brand to fulfil larger orders while creating income-generating opportunities and pathways to financial independence for entrepreneurs.
This collaboration was recently showcased at the launch of Haldane Martin’s 2026 furniture collection, where Remake sewists produced a series of Goodie Bags for VIP guests. Behind this project were Remake sewists Nandipha Matyeni, Nomonde Mveleli, Thuliswa Zweni, and Aqueela Rhodes.
In a room filled with world-class design, these bags told a new, refreshing story about the power of collaboration and local production.
A growing ecosystem of circular design
Projects like this show what becomes possible when designers, textile suppliers and social enterprises work together.
It is a triple win:
- Fabric that might have been discarded finds new purpose.
- Small business entrepreneurs gain access to production opportunities.
- And customers receive products that carry both design value and social impact.
For The Bag Ladies, what started as a small lockdown experiment has become an evolving platform for creative collaboration.
And it all began with a few overlooked fabric samples.
Taking Care of Business (TCB) is a nonprofit social enterprise. We are empowering unemployed South Africans and their families to escape the cycle of poverty through small business opportunities, mostly within the circular economy.