A local crafting company – which currently employs 80 crafters across three provinces –  has its sights set on expanding into a fourth province,  the Western Cape.

African Mamas Crafts was founded by Nomaswazi Tinus in 2015 with the aim of uplifting and helping rural development by supporting local crafters. The project started with a group of about 40 women creating hand-made, authentically South African products.

 “Our primary consumers are international visitors looking for high-quality authentic South African gifts,” said Tinus, highlighting that through this support, African Mamas Crafts had expanded across Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern Cape.

“We are doing market research and exploring opportunities, particularly in the Cape Town metro area,” said Tinus, explaining that the having a presence in the Cape would greatly benefit the business.

“We are also looking at strengthening our relationships with the ladies we work with. We normally have planning workshops to plan and look at what their needs are.”

African Mamas Crafts offers a selection of hand-crafted African design picnic baskets, beaded jewellery and decorative baskets made from telephone wire. Products can be ordered online with shipping available worldwide, and can be found in pop-up shops hosted around Gauteng – the details of which are available on the African Mamas Crafts website.

The proudly South African company’s earnings support the local economy, said Tinus. “When you take that and break it down, you can see the value it has on underprivileged families in ending the cycle of poverty.”