Stitching a nation’s pride

YOU often hear the phrase “respect the uniform” but behind every stitch and seam of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) attire are the hands that made it.

- TRACY-LYNN RUITERS

For almost three decades, a quiet, yet remarkable operation in the heart of Woodstock has been manufacturing the uniforms that thousands of soldiers wear with pride.

The family-run business, Sirdicks, has stitched its way through generations of change from hand-cut tailoring to advanced machinery while keeping one mission constant: producing quality garments that carry the weight of national service and dignity.

Sirdicks was founded nearly 30 years ago by Sedick Gierdien, a master tailor trained by his own father, who once ran a small formal-wear workshop in Cape Town.

What began as a modest tailoring business supplying hotel attire and formal uniforms eventually grew into a trusted national supplier of defence and service uniforms, including the distinctive camouflage worn by members of the SANDF.

Today, the company is under the stewardship of brothers Shuaib and Yasin Gierdien, the third generation to run the family business.