Joburg’s Kente Cloth Weaver
I've known for a while about Steve Appiah, a Ghanaian man living in Joburg who weaves Kente cloth. I originally met Steve at the Bryanston Market, one of the craft markets where he sells [...]
Towns of the Karoo: Nieu-Bethesda
At the end of my recent trip through the Karoo, after a stopover in Philippolis and an Inventure in the desert, I spent two nights in another tiny Karoo town: Nieu-Bethesda. A kilometer or [...]
Six Arts and Crafts Hotspots in Africa
Although I generally avoid shopping, I love to buy things when I travel -- especially in Africa (which is most of my traveling these days). So when Afristay asked me to write a post [...]
The Ndebele Artists of Mpumalanga: Coming Soon to Joburg
We drove down a dusty KwaMahlanga street, bordered by beige and brown houses. I saw dogs, chickens, and goats, all in various earth tones. Orange and lemon trees, laden with late-winter fruit, provided periodic [...]
Beading with Beauty at piece
My love for beaded jewelry began many years ago, when my sister worked in a bead shop. Susanna and I would pick out beads together and then she would make bracelets and earrings and [...]
Baby Elephants, Hungry Giraffes, and Other Cool Stuff in Karen
Karen is a suburb of Nairobi named for Danish farmer Karen Blixen (a.k.a. Meryl Streep), author of Out of Africa. The area was developed on the site of Blixen's early 20th-century farm, where Out [...]
Must-Have Christmas Gifts From the Maluti Mountains
I went to Lesotho last week for a work assignment. I was in a rush on the drive there, but on the way back I took my time, winding through the Maluti Mountains and visiting [...]
I Went Crafty in Swaziland
I’ve never been a big shopper, and my inclination to shop has dropped even lower since I left the United States. But I do enjoy one type of shopping in Africa: craft-shopping. Especially craft-shopping [...]