Magrieta Leeuwschut is the factory manager at Isikhwama, one of two reusable bag suppliers to Woolworths. She is also part of a journey to protect the environment and hopes to make a difference through the bags that they produce.

Located in Cape Town, Isikhwama is a BEE company which is 25% owned by two women and employs semi-skilled and unskilled people who were previously out of work. They began with four people producing 200 bags a week, and through the support of the Woolworths enterprise development programme, their business has grown to employ over 70 people producing about 30 000 bags for Woolworths every week.

Woolworths' support for small enterprises such as Isikhwama is part of our commitment to transformation in South Africa. As part of our Good Business Journey, this initiative helps to reduce plastic bag use and its impact on the environment, while also helping customers reduce the amount they spend on plastic bags.

Woolworths wide range of reusable bags includes brightly coloured bags made from polypropylene as well as bags decorated with messages promoting energy- and water conservation as well as sustainable farming and fishing. There are also limited edition bags that help raise funds for conservation. One of them, a rhino bag, has helped raise over R700 000 for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) efforts to combat rhino poaching.

To read more about the Woolworths Good Business Journey, visit woolworths.co.za/store/browse/contentPage.jsp?categoryId=cat320484