When you think about South Africa you may think of wine, rugby, sun, Nelson Mandela, safari parks or even golf before you think of crafts. However there is an ancient tradition of craft-making in South Africa. These techniques and the associated cultural symbolism are being revived and adapted to incorporate new materials and modern trends.

As well as producing beautiful hand-crafted items and a distinctive style of interior design, this revival of craft is providing survival, economic freedom and a new cultural identity for individuals and their communities. The making of craft also plays a role in HIV education by the use of traditional meanings and humour in the making and decorating of for example traditional dolls and cloths.

The economic benefits and the removal from isolation gained by joining a craft group can be life-enhancing for people who have HIV. There is no unemployment benefit for poor, ill or uneducated people in South Africa. Some of our craftspeople are in isolated or rural areas. They may have no access to the internet or to the tourist trade. Others may work in cities such as Johannesburg, and may be well-connected and locally successful. All of these people welcome the opportunity to bring their work to the wider world.