European designers and Eswatini artisans achieve market success through creative exchange
Eswatini, a nation with a rich history of hand-crafted goods, is known for high-quality products that reflect the traditional techniques.
However, the country’s artisans faced challenges in scaling their businesses and accessing international markets.
This is changing thanks to a unique collaboration under the Eswatini: Promoting Growth through Competitive Alliances programme – implemented by the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) Alliances for Action initiative and supported by the European Union (EU) in partnership with the Government of Eswatini.
This partnership links Eswatini’s cultural heritage and global design trends, so artisans can refine their craft and appeal to international markets.
The collaboration has led to the participation of Eswatini artisans in the prestigious Paris Design Week Factory with the Indalo Exhibition, from 5 to 14 September 2024.
For the artisans, they’re expanding their product offerings while preserving their cultural heritage.
The artistic process and cultural exchange
At the core of this collaboration is the artistic exchange between European designers and Eswatini artisans. The designers bring with them modern design principles, while the artisans contribute their deep-rooted traditional craftsmanship.
Five Eswatini cooperatives and small businesses – Siyaphambili, Indzaba Yami, Favourite Designs, Quazi and Tintsaba – joined forces with European designers Mari Koppanen, Kaja Dahl, Agathe Pautrot and Delphine Meriaux to create a range of products that blend the contemporary and the traditional.
‘It was a huge milestone for me and the business I represented,’ said Lettinah Phangwane, representing Tintsaba, a business that has trained over 1,400 women in rural Eswatini. ‘Our products, including placemats, handbags, and laundry baskets crafted from grass and sisal fiber, garnered attention for their quality and design. I understood how we can bring our heritage to international markets.’
The products were not only functional but also represented a dialogue between the past and the present.
‘The Ingcongwane Lamp was born from a collaboration with Mari Koppanen from Finland,’ said Bafanabethu Gina, from Favourite Design.
‘Mari visited Eswatini, and we worked together for a week to adapt the lamp for the European market. We sketched and refined the design, blending my inspiration from traditional Eswatini huts with her insight into European market preferences. The material used in the lamp is the same as what we use to build our traditional huts – a true reflection of my heritage.’
Agathe Pautrot and Delphin Meriaux explained how the collaboration influenced their design approach: ‘Among the work we were doing together, Indzaba Yami and Siyamphibili shared a lot of their spiritual roots, language, singing and way of living. We found this multicultural collaboration really successful.’
The Paris Design Show not only showcased their artistic process, but also highlighted the potential of Eswatini craftsmanship to thrive in global markets. The Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA) provided crucial support at the event.
Showcasing Eswatini at the Paris Design Show
The Paris Design Week Factory let Eswatini artisans showcase their work to a global audience and engage directly with industry leaders and potential buyers.
The exhibition also sparked discussions about sustainable materials, traditional techniques, and the role of handmade products in today’s fast-paced design world.
‘Our products were met with curiosity and admiration,’ said Lettinah. ‘It was rewarding to see how our traditional techniques could be appreciated in a modern context. We also received promising leads that we are currently pursuing.’
The products created through the collaboration were also displayed at the Indalo Exhibition in Paris.
A path to global markets
‘With the support of a few ideas for objects that we thought were appropriate in an international marketing context for the cooperatives, the collaboration with the artisans was done as naturally as possible,’ Agathe and Delphine said. ‘We quickly found this superb dynamic of rebound between a beginning of drawing, an initial test with the material, scaled sketches, before arriving together at a satisfactory result.’
As global markets increasingly look to Africa for inspiration in art, fashion, and home décor, Eswatini’s artisans are uniquely positioned to capture this growing demand.
The continued support from the EU, ITC, and the Eswatini Government ensures that these artisans will have the resources, training, and market access they need to thrive, while cultivating cultural value, entrepreneurship, and international partnerships.
‘This collaboration not only showcases their remarkable talents on a global stage but also empowers communities, fostering sustainable growth and preserving cultural heritage,’ said EU Programme Officer, Luis Miguel Pascoal.
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About the programme
The ITC-Alliances for Action programme Eswatini: Promoting growth through competitive alliances II, funded by the EU, supports job creation for small farmers, entrepreneurs and artisans. Eswatini offers the global market unique organic produce, artisan roasted coffee, handmade cultural creations and gourmet condiment lines.
ITC works closely with smallholder farmers, agro-processors and artisans in Eswatini to support them in ways that are sustainable and benefit both people and the planet. In this way, ITC fosters and preserves cultural heritage, and draws on artisan skills and concepts of green growth.
Alliances for Action is an ITC initiative that seeks to transform food systems through producer partnerships that cultivate ethical, climate- smart, sustainable agricultural value chains.
