The Money Side of Selling Clothes You Make

Read less, do more. Each part is one small step. Tap Ask on this site to hear it out loud or to ask your own money questions.

This is the partner page to Getting Opportunities for Your Clothing Design Talent in South Africa. That one is about getting seen. This one is about getting paid.

The big idea

If you don't price right, the harder you work, the poorer you get.

Your price must cover three things:

1. Materials (fabric, thread, zips, buttons)
2. Your time (your hours are not free)
3. A little extra (this is your profit — it lets you grow)

Price = Materials + Your Time + Extra.

Step 1 — Work out one item's price

Do this for one garment, slowly:

• Add up everything the fabric and bits cost. Write it down.
• Guess the hours it takes you. Pick an hourly amount for your time (even R30–R50/hour to start).
• Add the two. Then add a bit extra on top.

That number is your price. If it feels too cheap, it probably is. Don't undersell your hands.

Step 2 — Always take a deposit

For any custom / made-to-order piece:

• Ask for a 50% deposit before you start.
• The rest is paid before they collect it.

Why: the deposit pays for the fabric, and it means people don't waste your time. A real customer pays the deposit. A time-waster disappears — and that's fine.

Step 3 — Get paid safely

• Use bank transfer (EFT) or a tool like PayShap / instant EFT.
• See the money in your account before you hand over the clothes. A "proof of payment" picture is not money yet.
• Be careful of strangers who "overpay by mistake" and ask for change back — that's a common scam. Only refund money you can see is truly in your account.

Step 4 — Take orders the easy way (WhatsApp)

You don't need a fancy website to start. WhatsApp is your shop.

• Use WhatsApp (or a free WhatsApp Business account) as your order line.
• Make a few photo "catalogues" — pictures of what you make, with prices.
• When someone orders, send them this simple flow, in your own words:
  1. This is the price.
  2. Pay 50% deposit to start.
  3. It will be ready on [date].
  4. Pay the rest, then collect.

Keep a list of orders. Voice notes to yourself work if writing is slow.

Step 5 — Keep money for the business apart

This is the habit that turns a hustle into a business:

• Keep a separate amount for fabric and supplies. Don't spend it on yourself.
• Pay yourself from the extra (profit) part only.
• That way you can always buy materials for the next order without borrowing.

Step 6 — When to make it official

You can start selling today with none of this. But as you grow, these unlock bigger doors:

• A business bank account (looks professional, keeps money separate) — see Choosing a Business Bank Account in South Africa.
• Registering a company (Pty Ltd) on CIPC — needed for bigger orders, shops, and tenders. See How to Register a Company on CIPC.
• A simple record of money in / money out — even a notebook or voice notes.

Don't rush this. Sell first. Register when the orders are coming and you're ready to go bigger.

Your money checklist

1. Work out the price of one item (Materials + Time + Extra).
2. Decide your deposit rule (50% up front).
3. Set up WhatsApp as your order line.
4. Open a place to keep fabric money separate.
5. Only register a company when the orders are steady.

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Not sure how to price something? Tap Ask, describe the item, and talk it through.