On Tuesday, South African luxury brand Maxhosa Africa proudly announced the MaXhosa Africa 2023 Residency Programme.
“This is an exciting opportunity for individuals to showcase their capability and capacity to perform in the fast-paced world of high-fashion design, production, operations and retail,” the brand tweeted.
MaXhosa Africa 2023 Residency Programme:
We are proud to announce the MaXhosa Africa 2023 Residency Programme:
This is an exciting opportunity for individuals to showcase their capability and capacity to perform in the fast-paced world of high-fashion design, production,… pic.twitter.com/MIq9QgUdEu
— MaXhosa AFRICA™ (@MaXhosaAfrica) July 18, 2023
The residency programme includes positions like human resource assistant, finance assistant, sales assistants, videography and photography assistants, social media assistants, creative design assistants, pattern making assistants and many more.
While this should be seen as an amazing opportunity for anybody who wants to get a foot into the industry, many have turned a spotlight on how much the successful candidates will be paid.
According to the MaXhosa website, they will be paid a monthly stipend of R4 000. The programme will run for two months from July 25, 2023 to September 25, 2023.
“So no one in the entire Maxhosa executive team saw anything wrong with this stipend/peanuts?” responded one Twitter user.
“I hope this is a PR stunt. My company doesn’t gross the revenue that MaXhosa makes and my lowest paid employee (unskilled) makes upwards of 6K a month. A qualified graduate starts at 10. Explain to me how do u pay someone fresh out of school 4K,” said another.
Twitter user @MaS1banda responded: “R4000 per month?! That’s not even enough to buy one MaXhosa bra. Please, please don’t exploit cheap labour to make, market and sell expensive clothes and decor, and call it a ‘residency’. PLEASE. I beg of you.”
R4000 per month?!
That's not even enough to buy one MaXhosa bra.
Please, please don't exploit cheap labour to make, market and sell expensive clothes and decor, and call it a 'residency'.PLEASE.
I beg of you. https://t.co/gq7NYh4Q5G— Ottilia Anna MaSibanda (@MaS1banda) July 19, 2023
In an follow up post, she said: “29 people working for barely a basic MINIMUM wage for 2 months for the next ‘spring/summer’ collection instead of recruiting 10 people & compensating them fairly for their labour? Please be ethical. People are desperate for work. Any work. So they’ll apply, motivate, hope. No.”
Her tweet has received mixed responses with many people saying that R4 000 is better than nothing.
“My sister, government pays people R350 for doing nothing, that R4K might not be for buying MaXhosa but just a license to acquire experience & skill. We are payed in 2 coins, cash & experience. Some of us started with R1500pm in 2007, thats was hunger for experience not for cash,” responded one person.
“Well it’s either R350 while waiting for a good opportunity or R4 000 and still waiting for a good opportunity,” said another.
“Inservice training was 2500 some 3500 with full qualifications. Plz dont try and be smart at the expense of young people who need a job and experience. Better to employ many than none at all. Please,” disagreed another.
