Skip links

Modern products, age old methods…

Handmade
Style

All our products are handcrafted by artisans that follow age old traditions often passed down from one generation to the next.

We work with artisans from diverse backgrounds from all over Zimbabwe and Southern Malawi. The majority are found in the rural areas where weaving has become a supplementary income to traditional farming. Through our efforts to purchase products at fair prices, families and communities are empowered to develop sustainably.

Because they are handcrafted, the products are unique with no two products ever looking the same. Dimensions are never exact, so all our products fall within a range of a few centimetres. Our products are authentic and reflect a diverse range of cultural traditions that can be infused into the contemporary world. Natural raw materials that are endemic to each area are sustainably harvested and used to produce our products.

Raw Materials

Ilala Palm

Over 80% of our basket range is made from the fronds of the Ilala Palm Tree (Hyphanae petersiana). It is a commonly occurring and widespread Palm whose sap is also used in winemaking. This extremely versatile plant is the traditional raw material of choice for the majority of the tribes within the country.

The weavers pull the palm fronds into strips in preparation for weaving. Naturally, cream in colour when dry, the strips can also be dyed using natural sources such as fruits, leaves, roots, and the bark of certain trees to produce a variety of earthy colours.  Prior to and during weaving, the strips are soaked in water to make them pliable and easier to weave together.

Sisal Our Products

Sisal is used in the weaving of our Masvingo baskets. It is an exceptionally durable and strong material obtained from the Sisal plant (Agave Sisalana). The preparation of the sisal fibre is a lengthy process that requires the fibre to be manually extracted from the leaf parenchyma by scraping with a blunt knife or piece of wood (decortication), cleaned and then spun by hand. The fibre is also dyed using natural sources before being used to weave the baskets.

Cane Our Products

Cane (Cocculus Hirsutus) is used to make the Buhera baskets as well as the Malawi furniture range. This rather invasive vine that can form a dense cover over other plants is commonly occurring in both Zimbabwe and Malawi. In Malawi it is locally known as Nangoneka and in Zimbabwe Tsopotwe which lends its name to the baskets. The fruit has a blue colouring which can be used as a dye. The frames of the furniture pieces are made from bamboo or local timber.

Bamboo

Bindura or Lowland Bamboo (Oxytenanthera abyssinica) is used to make some of our pendant lampshades. It is an indigenous, rapid growing, solid stemmed bamboo that is easily cultivated. Stems that are 2-3 years old are harvested for furniture and basket making. Bindura bamboo grows in tight clumps that can be harvested without affecting the ability of the stems to regenerate.