A wealth of opportunity

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Monday, 16 August 2010 08:58

Investing in women who rely on craft will ensure economic support for themselves and their families

Craft Culture is an articulate expression of history. In South Africa particularly, it is central to our diverse heritage.

The unique aesthetic value of cultural artefacts is the heart of a cultural transaction. Within that experience, a visual connection to a specific legacy fuses with a localised social and, in turn, national identity.

For centuries, handmade craft has co-existed with tourism. At first, travel was limited, and craft tourism was confined to inquiring intellectuals. Since the world has become more accessible and even remote areas reached, there has been a convergence of design and decoration, where ideas have been transplanted between continents – inspiring new thoughts and concepts.

Much of the appeal of art or culture is the region of origin; the function of the item carries a similar value and significance and, as such, forms a descriptive mini-autobiography of the crafter’s environment.

Craft expounds on an array of themes: history and status to religious beliefs and ceremonies. The power of the objet d’art is its story; this is one of the ways in which craft manufacturing links to tourism in rural districts.

The United Nations’ “Creative Economy Report 2008” demonstrates that creative industries are powerful engines for economic growth and trade development in developing countries. This is true not only in terms of direct economic impact from the sale of goods and services, but also as a multiplier in other sectors by stimulating new business opportunities and enhanced capacity.

With many of South Africa’s country regions being dry and inhospitable to farming practices, local economies benefit greatly from the economic stimulation of craft industries.

Women are primordial heritage keepers, preserving traditions and passing down skills through the ages from mother to daughter. As key contributors to craft industries, it is crucial that education and funding form part of a structured plan to fortify the involvement of these women.

The Talking Beads Academy in Pretoria, set up by businesswoman Tembeka Nkamba-Van Wyk in 1997, is an excellent example of how social entrepreneurship can benefit women in rural environments.

The aim of the initiative was to keep local traditions alive and to provide employment, training and medical care to South African women across all communities.

The business has flourished and provides work for 30 full-time employees and some 4 500 on commission.

“Women from rural areas, working in cooperatives, form the majority of the organisation’s membership. Talking Beads allows women to work and stay with their families, rather than move to urban areas,” says Nkamba-Van Wyk.

Apart from much needed governmental interventions, the cultural industries are attracting support from business; corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects are no longer a luxury, but have become an integral part of business strategies worldwide. The economic benefits thereof are not that easy to gauge, but do yield encouraging returns for companies wishing to create meaningful opportunities.

The obvious advantage is the constructive visual identity created by CSR. Buyers are becoming progressively more aware of the social and environmental impact profile of their business associates; while young people are progressively attracted to working for companies that sustain a better future for all.

Involving staff in collaborative social upliftment initiatives that benefit their own community is another way for business to foster good relationships within its workforce as well as attracting future clients.

As the focus of philanthropic funding has shifted toward the education of women, the filter effect has been:

• Improved health and nutrition for families, education and skills transfer to children and the community; and

• Improved financial options – women in rural areas are largely illiterate; education affords them the opportunity to negotiate micro-finance, business contracts and meet best practice obligations. Women are known to be reliable and more likely than men to remain committed to loan repayment.

International fashion designers are increasingly sourcing new and unusual products made in Africa. The trend has been to create new lines that incorporate ethical fashion items as part of brand strategies.

To reap the benefits of these new leanings, it has become important to create accommodating organisations that will facilitate craft producers and network all players in the product-to-market chain. This includes craft retailers, national chains, marketing agents, exporters and service providers such as designers, product developers, skills trainers, business development practitioners and mentors.

The Cape Craft & Design Institute (CCDI) was set up in 2001 as a Section 21 not-for-profit company to promote and grow craft as an economic sector in the Western Cape.

It is a joint initiative of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

The CCDI has since been adopted by the Department of Trade and Industry as a model Craft Hub, to serve as a template for the establishment of other similar craft institutes in other provinces of South Africa. Visit www.ccdi.org.za for further information.

International fashion house Max&Co. was recently involved in a widely publicised cultural venture for the launch of its flagship store in Berlin.

For the creation of a new range, it utilised the skills of a group of 250 single women (most of them are HIV positive) living on the outskirts of Dagoretti in Kenya, together with a group of informal producers – the Bidii Shoemakers, who also work in beading from Korogocho, near Nairobi.

The assignment also included The Crochet Sisters (a sisterhood of about 100 people providing work for orphans and refugee women from Zimbabwe), a group of 150 bone bead-makers in Kibera (the largest slum in Kenya and in Africa) and a group of tie-dye manufacturers in Kwawangari.

Creative director of Max&Co. Luisa Laudi commented that the outcome in terms of quality achieved by informal community groups based in slums, surpassed that of many formal business structures based in other parts of the world.

The story of Max&Co. had such appeal that it was covered by TIME and Vanity Fair magazines as well as a number of Italian newspapers and magazines.

For a full-length version of this encouraging tale as well as other inspiring examples of trade aid, read the article “ITC & African Fashion to the Max” on www.tradeforum.org, under Latest Online Editions – Trading Stories.

Global industries are looking to Africa for authentic innovative techniques. In addition, they are committed to offering meaningful purchases to their clients.

Reaching for these markets will require the government and businesses to champion the cause of craft production.

In doing so, they will help to break the confining parameters of rural poverty, increase craft tourism and protect the rich and evocative legacy of South African craft.

Simone Tredoux

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