With 450 000 visitors expected to descend on South Africa, the event presents a lifetime opportunity for local crafters to sell their wares to those who want a unique handmade item to remember their trip.
With the help of the Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI), a Section 21 company set up by CPUT and the Western Cape Province, a range of programmes and services are being rolled out to prepare local craft producers to make use of this business opportunity.
Manager of the CCDI’s GIFT Warehouse, Rose Reddy, said they have already set up a 2010 section at GIFT, which links craft producers to corporate buyers and retailers.
“We are sending out calls for products and are seeing some completely new 2010 event-related items, while others are adapting their existing lines,” said Reddy.
The 2010 section already boasts a number of products, ranging from beaded soccer boots to felt soccer balls.
Some craft producers have even produced wire and bead replicas of the Green Point Stadium, while others have taken a new approach to soccer bags and vuvuzelas.
Bearing in mind the stringent FIFA copyright rules and guidelines, the CCDI has appointed a 2010 project officer to work closely with the craft producers to ensure their wares meet FIFA regulations.
Creativity, Design and Innovation manager at the CCDI, Alan Alborough, said craft producers are being encouraged to make innovative, high quality products.
Alborough said craft producers eager to perfect a prototype of a product will receive hands-on assistance at their AMTS FabLab.
This facility offers design software which links digitally to manufacturing technology, such as a laser cutter, vinyl cutter and small milling machines.
“It is essentially a prototyping environment and this access to equipment changes how people approach design,” he said.
Other services for craft producers include programmes for enterprise development, skills training and mentoring.
Meanwhile, the CCDI is also extending its support programmes and services to crafters in rural communities. Craig Carbutt, Rural Outreach Officer at the CCDI, recently held workshops for craft producers in Mossel Bay.
More workshops are planned for other regions in the Western Cape.
The CCDI GIFT warehouse is situated at the CCDI headquarters at 75 Harrington Street, Cape Town.
Photographs: (clockwise) Beaded soccer players by African Allsorts, Makaraba by Makoya, Soccer ball by Mixed Ideaz
