Crafts That Last: Sustainable Craft Projects in South Africa

Abstract

This paper focuses on successful craft enterprises in South Africa, and analyses the actions and activities that account for their sustainability and success. South Africa, as a developing country, with high levels of industrial and commercial development on the one hand, and deep poverty, under-development and high unemployment on the other, has experienced an increasing focus on small business development since the democratic elections in 1994. It is anticipated that sustainable jobs can be created in the informal sector, and it is mainly for this reason that there has been an increasing focus on crafts, which are being supported, funded and encouraged in many ways and by many organisations and institutions.

In spite of this, far more projects fail than succeed. Examples make clear that funding and enthusiasm are seldom enough to create sustainable craft initiatives where none exists, or to adapt an existing craft to changing circumstances such as new market demands or loss of traditional materials or skills.

However, some very successful craft enterprises are to be found in South Africa. ‘Success’, in this context, refers to projects and enterprises that have a certain longevity, for example ten years or more; sustainable earnings so that no additional funding is needed; noteworthy products which give evidence of innovation and a degree of product development; national or international recognition in some form or another; and a level of job creation, job security and satisfaction and wages above the legal minimum.

This paper investigates four craft enterprises in South Africa: Ardmore Ceramic Art in KwaZulu-Natal; Kaross embroidery project in Limpopo Province; Mapula embroidery project in Limpopo Province and Monkeyiz South Africa, a beadmaking project in the Western Cape (See illustrations at end of abstract). The first aspect to account for the sustainability of these examples that I consider is design, in the sense of design as planning, design as making, design and the final products, design and aesthetics and design and ideals. The second aspect that I argue accounts for sustainability is the approach of the project to business, in the sense of management, financing, publicity and marketing, products and pricing. The final aspect that I argue needs to be taken into account in this investigation is the approach to labour, specifically the labour systems, training, salaries and wages, working conditions and the relationship between labour and craft production.

In analysing and comparing these four craft projects, I aim to demonstrate that it is the combination of all these factors that contribute to a sustainable, successful craft enterprise, and all must be taken into account in planning and creating a new project or developing an existing one.