At the age of 21, Thato Kgatlhanye and her childhood friend Rea Ngwane -co-founders of Rethaka Repurpose Schoolbags- were deeply moved by the struggles and resilience of their community in Mogwase amid the power outage and poor social infrastructure. Mogwase is a small town 40 minutes outside Rustenburg in the Northwestern Part of South Africa. They saw children walk long distances to school on untarred roads, carrying their books and studying with candlelight at night due to electricity struggles.
This motivated them to build something different for the children in that region. They understood the power of education and wanted to allow schoolchildren to study comfortably. So, together, Rea Ngwane and Thato Kgatlhanye founded Rethaka Repurpose Schoolbags (Rethaka).
Rethaka’s school bags, crafted from upcycled plastic, are made with extra reflective material to make children more visible when they walk to and from school to prevent accidents. The satchels have built-in solar panels that charge during the day when the child walks to and from school. The solar panels can then be used at night to power solar-jar lamps in homes that don’t have electricity. The plastic bags are fused at high temperatures, making the satchels strong, long-lasting and water-resistant.
These durable and environmentally friendly bags help countless disadvantaged children in South Africa study effectively, even in the darkest hours. Rethaka Repurpose Schoolbags now produces and distributes these recycled school bags that double as solar-powered lights so children can use them to study in the evening after school.
Rethaka’s process of reaching disadvantaged children is straightforward and inclusive. They identify low-income, underprivileged schools in South Africa, invite corporate and individual giving partners, and facilitate the connection. This simplicity empowers everyone to contribute and make a meaningful difference.
Once the bags are ready, Rethaka will host a themed handover event at the selected school, where Giving Partners will be invited to distribute the new bags to the students personally. After the event, the Giving Partners will receive a special Thanksgiving package, which includes photos and videos, along with heartfelt letters from the children who received the bags.
Rethaka currently exports to Namibia, Turkey, the UK, and Brazil and plans to expand to more countries. The company now employs 20 staff members, works with nine volunteers, and relies on a network of rubber collectors to support its operations.
Kgatlhanye, the creative co-founder, has been featured in various media outlets, including CNBC Africa and Forbes. She also won the ELLE international Impact2 award, showcasing the impact of the bags the initiative produces. She has collaborated with prominent organisations like the MTN Foundation and PricewaterhouseCoopers to amplify her mission further and build a support network that strengthens the initiative.
Thato Kgatlhanye and Rea Ngwane use Rethaka to inspire the future generation to dream bigger and strive for change. They are showing Africans what it means to merge business with purpose. Rethaka’s Solar Bags is not just a product; it is a transformative tool that reshapes South African schoolchildren’s education landscape, inspiring hope and a brighter future.
