Are you interested in traveling to South Africa? Please visit this section for more information.
Originals from Africa is a company dealing in African art and home decor products from Southern Africa. We are committed to introducing high quality, original products from hard to reach places to an international audience.
Local empowerment, encouragement of the preservation of culture, and alleviation of poverty through the development and marketing of these unusual products and artwork is their mission. Supporting local art and craft will not only give a greater appreciation for art in Southern Africa, but will also provide a much needed income to the artists and their families. They actively encourage the continued production of traditional crafts and the development of new and contemporary items. Originals from Africa is proud to be a member of the Fair Trade Federation and follows fair trade practices.
Originals of Africa is proud to be affiliated with Mokolodi Nature Reserve, and will donate a portion of its proceeds to the Nature Reserve to be used for animal breeding programs, and the education of school children about conservation and the environment.
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Khumbulani Crafts was established in 1999 as a non-profit organization, whose purpose was to aid in poverty alleviation in South Africa through the design, production, marketing and sale of traditional and contemporary crafts. Working with approximately 350 crafters in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, Khumbulani Crafts provides training to increase artisan economic independence. Khumbulani Crafts provides education on environmental responsibility, business management, quality control, pricing and markets access. The Global Exchange Online Store features products from six different Khumbulani supported craft projects.
- Loving Hands is a small group of women beaders based on the periphery of South Africa's Kruger National Park. For many members of Loving Hands, women are the sole bread-winners for their families, and craft making is their only source of income. All beads are made from recycled glass bottles from the concessions stands at Kruger Park. The women grind down the bottles, making them into a mud-like substance and then roll each bead by hand.
- Sunpayi Nkuna is an expert spoon maker who lives in the small village, Hlalanikahlie in Mpumalanga. He works with a variety of woods to create hand-carved, unique and utilitarian pieces. His small stone house is set in a beautiful area of rolling mountains and expansive fields. The income Sunpayi earns from carving goes towards school fees for his children and to buy mealies (corn) to plant.
- Women from the three villages of Vukanathi, Zenzelemi, and Siyaphambili come together with the organizational help of Khumbulani Crafts, to weave beautifully hand-crafted baskets. Similar to many of the craft groups in the region, these basket weavers are the sole bread-winners for their families. Many of the older weavers have been able to send their children to university on the income earned through basket-weaving.
-Vulukhanya means "to bring to light" in Zulu and consists of eight basket weavers from KwaZulu Natal. Vulukhanya members rely heavily on the sale of their baskets as a main source of income. Basket weaving is a talent passed down from mother to daughter and is a very detailed and time consuming art form. Some baskets can take as long as 2-3 weeks to create, depending on the level of detail and the tightness of the weave.
- Located in the rural village of KwaXolo, in Zululand, this group consists of 18 women. The women in this group are talented artisans and use the traditional Zulu technique of beading on a variety of items, ranging from necklaces to walking sticks. Income earned through their beadwork helps them afford education for their children and the day to day costs of living. Additionally, the women of KwaXolo also grow their own food in a community garden.
Check out our Khumbulani Crafts product selection.
Streetwires is a business whose goal is to tackle the problems of unemployment and poverty in South Africa. Their "Proudly South African" project provides the skills training, support and raw materials necessary to enable over 100 formerly unemployed men and women to channel their natural creative energies into a vibrant wire art form. Streetwires is committed to promoting their artisans to positions within the business. The wire art ranges from giant lion wall decorations to tiny vegetable magnets. All of the products created by Streetwires are incredibly intricate, unique and express a vibrancy that speaks to the joy of the artisans who create them.
Check out our Streetwires product selection.
Wola Nani is the Xhosa term meaning "we embrace and develop one another". The organization was established in 1994 as a non-profit to help bring relief to the communities hardest hit by the HIV crisis in the townships of Capetown. Formed at a time when there was a large pull-back on welfare spending and a huge increase in the number of HIV and AIDS cases, Wola Nani initiated programs to help HIV+ people in the local community cope with the emotional and financial strains brought about by HIV and AIDS.
Wola Nani Crafts emerged in response to the need for unemployed, HIV-positive women to generate an income. They currently offer a wide range of products from, paper mache houseware to beadwork.
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Ikamva Labantu, means "the future of our nation" and works with community-based organizations serving various sectors of Capetown's population. They work with Seniors Services, Early Childhood Development, Economic Improvement, Youth Empowerment and Family Services to ensure that critical needs of the communities are met. Ikamva Labantu works closely with its communities and builds partnerships with existing local organizations to maintain community ownership and direction.
Check out our Ikamva Labantu product selection.
to Global Exchange Fair Trade Program
