WeeklySA_AdminHUB: Retail chain committed to serve the community
By Isaac Moledi
Local retail chain TFG, one of the foremost independent chain-store groups in South Africa, has put its weight behind the country’s deaf people by launching its latest Prestige Clothing manufacturing factory to benefit the hearing impaired learners.
TFG Prestige Clothing factory, to be launched on 4 October 2021 in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, is aimed at commemorating September as an International Month for deaf people, according to Jacqui O’Conner, TFG corporate communications manager for group marketing.
The commemoration development follows the United Nations declaring September as the International Month for the Deaf and Sign Language in 2018. Before then, the deaf people across the world were being celebrated during the last week of September on an annual basis since 2009 by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) an organisation representing the deaf people across the world. But this changed after the UN declared September as the Month for the deaf people and their sign language.
TFG, which has a diverse portfolio of 29 leading fashion retail brands offering clothing, jewellery, cellphones, accessories, cosmetics, sporting apparel and equipment as well as homeware and furniture for its upper market segments, says the launch of this unique manufacturing hub especially designed for hearing impaired learners serves as its commitment to the deaf community and embracing young people with differing abilities.
The retail chain currently has more than 2 652 brick and mortar stores located across South Africa. These include Archive, Duesouth, Exact, Fabiani, Foschini, @home, Markhams, Relay Jeans, Sportscene, The FIX and Totalsports. The company also operates in other countries in four continents.
“September is the International Month for the Deaf People. In commemoration of this special month, we are launching our latest TFG Prestige Clothing factory, to be located in Hillbrow, Johannesburg.
This unique manufacturing hub is especially designed for hearing impaired learners,” says O’Conner in a statement.
She adds: “As an organisation, we are committed to serving the deaf community and embracing young people with differing abilities.” According to the retail giant, many people living with disabilities still faced barriers when it comes to access to employment, says O’Conner. “Upskilling and creating employment for people living with disabilities was a particular focus for TFG Africa this year.”
According to O’Conner , TFG has, this year, appointed more than 100 unemployed people living with disabilities into learnerships across its businesses. “Through this, we are upskilling learners with a long term or recurring physical (including sensory) or mental impairment that substantially limits their prospect of employment through various 12-month learnership programmes.”
Through its involvement with Proudly South Africa, O’Conner says TFG has been engaging with St. Vincent School of the Deaf in various capacities since 2019.
“The school had talented learners leaving school but unable to find jobs,” she said. It was for this reason that the retail group had partnered with the Thandeka Vocational Education Trust, a TVET SA Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) SETA, which is an accredited training provider, to train graduates from St. Vincent School of the Deaf.
“The first intake of 24 learners will complete a NQF Level 2 CTFL manufacturing learnership (sewing) in October 2021,” says O’Conner, adding that an additional 24 learners are also currently on the programme and will complete their learnership in 2022.
The company says it hopes to enrol a third group of learners as soon as arrangements have been completed. O’Conner said TFG’s Prestige Clothing, Bidvest and Berzacks have partnered in providing a modern working environment for its learners. Additional support has been provided by TFG community social investment.
Besides offering learnership to the deaf learners, TFG also offers internships to post graduate students who are eager to join the robust and ever changing, working world of retail.
Practical work experience and exposure to the field of choice is offered to those newly graduated students thinking of pursuing a career with TFG, the company said.
Listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Limited since 1941, the group has a successful track record when it comes to delivering desirable returns for investors and O’Çonner says they aim to continue to achieve this through a strategic focus on customer experience. “We started off as a family owned business and have kept the best parts of that culture alive,” TFG CEO Anthony Thunstrom said.
