The countdown has begun for the annual Cape Town Carnival set to take place on 16 March at the Green Point Fan Walk with this year’s theme being ‘Lekker’.
The Cape Town Carnival workshop in Maitland is bursting with activity to prepare for the Rio style carnival that will feature 44 groups, and more than 1400 performers.
Malvan Gandiwa, 35, from Blue Downs, is the head of the Construction Department and says his life changed in 2012 when he went from being a cleaner at the workshop to opening his own business.
“I used to stand at the robots in Brooklyn and wait for people to pick me for work until one day some guy came and said he was looking for man power. The ex-manager liked the way I worked and asked what experience I have and I told him that I have nothing, so he offered me a job as a cleaner.
“I cleaned toilets, made tea, washed dishes, cleaned the workshop then I started coming on the floor and did metal work and from there I started learning different skills from people and now I am the head of the Construction Department.”
Malvan says has since opened his own welding business and employs several mense.
“At the carnival workshop, we only work for three months, after the carnival then I used to go back to the robots until I decided to buy my own tools and now I have my own workshop in Blue Downs.”
Arts Works Manager, Nadia Kimmie says: “We don’t just look at people like workers but care for each other and do regular check-ins with everyone.
“The spectators are going to have such a lekker time, our groups, performers and costumes are brilliant, it is going to be such a party.”