South African crafts are exported all over the world and have come to symbolize the very essence of South Africa. No tourist experience is complete without a spear, shield, woven basket, drum or mask acquired on one of the numerous African Crafts markets.
South African crafts are as diverse as the people of this country. Variations are due to geographical or tribal differences and the degree of Western or other influences. Traditionally, the design and production of crafts are handed down from one generation to another. Crafters use natural resources and recycled products such as plastic bags, paper, cardboard boxes and wires to fashion their artefacts.
Craft industry employs about one million people and, according to some estimates, contributes about R2 billion or 0.14 percent to the country's GDP annually, of which R150m is in export sales.
The crafts industry provides the marginalised people, mostly women, with an access into the economy. This sector has low entry level requirements in terms of skills and capital requirements. It is often home-based, allowing for flexibility in terms of childcare, household chores and, in the rural areas, agricultural production.
In some cases, crafts provide livelihood for whole communities. The projects range from baskets, made by the community of Fugitive's Drift (near Rorke's Drift, in KwaZulu-Natal), to rock-art paintings made by Schmidtsdrift (near Kimberley in the Northern Cape) community of displaced Bushman or San people. South African crafts include a wide range of products: tableware, Christmas decorations, key-rings, candle-holders, baby products, and many others.
Between 2005 and 2009, the number of production enterprises has increased by an estimated 40 percent. This is an average growth of 8 per year, attributable to the growth in tourism. However, South African crafts industry still lags far behind similar sectors in developed world. The global crafts industry is estimated to be worth US$35 billion; South Africa takes up only about 1percent of that pie.
The major challenges faced by the crafts industry is the lack of business skills and access to raw materials and to the markets.