B2B & Social Procurement
Partner
With Purpose
One approved vendor that satisfies procurement and your social-procurement mandate. The capability earns the contract; the impact is the dividend.
B2B & Social Procurement
One approved vendor that satisfies procurement and your social-procurement mandate. The capability earns the contract; the impact is the dividend.
The double bottom line
Precision parts, made by skilled artisans who are blind or visually impaired.
Dignity in action
“They work together, they play together, they laugh together.”
From operator to machine setter
After losing his sight following cataract surgery, Marthinus joined the workshop as a machine operator and asked a simple question: could he learn to set up the machines himself? Today he works as a trusted machine setter, a role built on precision, technical understanding and responsibility.
Losing his sight changed every aspect of Marthinus van Staden’s life. Following complications during cataract surgery, he lost the sight in his remaining functional eye. Overnight, he lost not only his independence, but also the career he had built and the future he had imagined. Faced with rebuilding his life, he made the difficult decision to leave his home in Gauteng and relocate to Innovation for the Blind in Worcester.
When Marthinus joined the Metal Workshop, he began in an entry-level role as a machine operator. Rather than seeing this as his destination, he saw it as the beginning of a new career. One day, while waiting for a machine to be set up, he asked a simple question: “Could I learn to set up the machines myself?”
Innovation believed in his potential and provided the opportunity, mentoring and practical training he needed to develop new technical skills. Through hands-on experience and a willingness to learn, Marthinus progressed beyond operating machinery to mastering machine setup, a role requiring precision, technical understanding and responsibility.
Today, Marthinus works as a trusted machine setter in the Metal Workshop, contributing to the manufacture of precision-engineered components for industry. His journey demonstrates that career development does not end with employment. With the right support and opportunities, people continue to grow, learn new skills and take on greater responsibility throughout their working lives.
Beyond words · precision machining
Jaco is deafblind. For years he quietly observed every task in the workshop, until one day he completed a full production run on his own: every measurement accurate, every hole drilled in exactly the right place. Today he produces quality components with precision and consistency.
Most people assume that precision engineering relies heavily on sight. Jaco van Wyk proves otherwise. Jaco is deafblind, with only limited usable vision and no hearing. For many years, people underestimated his abilities simply because he communicated differently. Yet today he is a valued member of Innovation for the Blind’s Metal Workshop, where he contributes to the manufacturing of precision-engineered components for industry.
When Jaco first joined the workshop, his supervisor patiently demonstrated every task, showing him where to position each component and how to drill according to detailed engineering drawings. Week after week, month after month, Jaco quietly observed. Then one day, something remarkable happened.
Delayed by another task, his supervisor returned expecting production to have stopped. Instead, he found Jaco confidently completing the work on his own. Concern quickly turned into amazement. Every measurement was accurate. Every hole had been drilled in exactly the right place. Without anyone realising it, Jaco had spent years carefully observing, analysing patterns and developing an extraordinary understanding of the manufacturing process.
Today, Jaco continues to work as a trusted member of the Metal Workshop, producing quality components with precision and consistency. His story demonstrates what becomes possible when training is adapted to the individual rather than expecting the individual to adapt to traditional training methods.
“The world thought Jaco couldn’t learn. It simply hadn’t discovered how he learns.”
Hear it from the floor
Innovation for the Blind
Impact at a glance.
The Metal Workshop
What the workshop gives back.
Why procurement chooses IftB
Certificates and supporting documents, ready to hand to your compliance team.
Download Compliance Pack