The Frame Group of companies, a major force in the South African textile industry, announced a significant reduction of its workforce in 1998. In an attempt to safeguard the jobs of its union members, SACTWU, after lengthy negotiations, committed The Frame Group to provide capital for a new project. Essentially the project involved a commitment to establishing a clothing factory where the retrenched workers could be employed.

The union from its side committed itself to securing clothing industry skills for the retrenched workers who were skilled in textile operation viz. doffing, spinners, and weavers and to raise further capital and provide general management for the project.

Thus "ZENZELENI" was created, a name chosen by the workers for whom the project represented a lifeline. An opportunity to get into a different job relatively quickly and to build a factory dedicated primarily to them selves. The Zulu word for "We do it ourselves" is ZENZELENI.

SACTWU was presented with an enormous challenge to train textile workers and to survive in a fiercely competitive industry. Despite it's many setbacks, ZENZELENI has slowly dragged itself up by its boot strings. Disappointment at the limitations slowly turned into a experience and better results.

The company ZENZELENI CLOTHING (PTY) LTD was incorporated in 1989. The directors of the Company are A.M. NTULI, the president of SACTWU, and Mohammed H. Ahmed. The auditors are Desai Jadwat Incorporated;Solly Sumra is the general manager of the Company. The factory is situated at 127 Gale Street, Durban.