June 23 National Arts Festival diary: Local artists have their say

Read More

The 49th instalment of the National Arts Festival commenced officially on 22 June in Makhanda. The town is abuzz with local artists from all over South Africa, looking to use this platform to not only showcase their art but also earn money for their families. 

The 11-day annual festival, which has been held in the Eastern Cape town since 1974, is the largest such arts event in Africa and one of the biggest in the world by visitor numbers.

Many of the artists at this year’s edition who spoke to the Mail & Guardian say the sector has taken the brunt of the job scarcity in the country. Therefore festivals such as this are not just a great way to showcase and preserve their culture and tell their stories in an authentic way, but also allow them to sell their work and sustain themselves until their next gig. 

Onke Mbulali from Port Alfred is a fashion designer whose brand, De Salu Creation, specialises in men’s streetwear. He loves using denim and is inspired by the likes of bespoke clothing brand TSHEPO.

Mbulali said he had come to the festival to make money and promote his brand. 

“I believe in this brand so much that I put my name on it. Salu is my clan name and just as Levi Strauss was bold enough to put his name on a pair of jeans and make it, so can I,” he said.

Mbulali puts South African cultural prints on denim items because, as he says, even in these modern times, it is important for people to remember who they are and where they come from.

Bulelwa Mashiyi of Amathole makes and sells jewellery and traditional Xhosa clothing called umbhaco. She is fiercely proud of her culture and this comes through as she acknowledges those who came before her and those who will carry the baton long after she is gone. 

She says of the jewellery and clothing: “We were taught by our elders to make it and we are now teaching young children from our various communities in the Eastern Cape.”

But the programmes Mashiyi and others run in their neighbourhoods are self-funded and a financial strain, particularly since many of those who run them are already reliant on social welfare.

“We don’t get any funding or support from the government, we use the R350 (social grant) they give us and some even chip at their children’s grants to be able to fund these programmes. So in an effort to help children in our community, we also cause suffering to our families,” she admits.

Mashiyi hopes to make some money during the festival but is also keen to use the platform to teach visitors about Xhosa culture. 

Caroline Nyoni and her husband Graham Mhari make and sell bamboo foldable baskets. Her husband grew up in a family of artists and was taught carpentry by his father. This is the couple’s third participation in the arts festival after a disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We were so eager for the festival then Covid happened. Business was terrible and we decided to try to sell online. That helped but the money was not as great as being at festivals like this where you can tell the story behind the product” Nyoni says.

“Outside of money, all I want is to engage customers and potential customers about our product. I just want the whole experience.”

Crystal Reid of Craft to Heal, who makes baskets and placemats from paper and plastic,  says it is time for artists to think outside the box and be aware of the economic state of the country. 

“People love beautiful things but people can’t afford beautiful things because they are going through financial strain and there are no jobs,” she says. This, she adds, is an opportunity for artists to teach their crafts, so that they stay alive.

Namhla Dotwana makes African traditional cosmetics using impepho, or indigenous sage. 

Dotwana started her business, Namhla Collection, during the Covid-19 lockdown after doing extensive research on the benefits of sage for the skin.

“Back in the day it was used to heal wounds, so I thought let me incorporate it with my skin cosmetics to heal pimples, scars, and rashes,” she says. 

Dotwana handmakes soaps, bath salts, and candles among other products and believes the time has come for Africans to stop being obsessed with international skin brands “that don’t understand our pigment and climate” and embrace locally-made products “that our forefathers used”.

“I want Namhla Collection to take over South Africa and also make its name in the international cosmetic space. That’s why I am at this festival, to foster those connections which will one day turn into contracts” she says.  

After the birth of her baby girl in 1999, Serena Gess of Greenways Herbal Ointments could not find completely natural skin products to use on the child, and started doing research and reading old recipes until she found what worked for her. 

“I found a recipe containing three different herbs containing comfrey, lavender and plantain which are good healing herbs. I use cold-pressed sunflower oil blended with beeswax as the base of the ointment,” she says. 

Gess says when she started, it was difficult to convince people that all-natural products were better than the chemical-heavy creams in stores, but this has changed over time.

After a hiatus from the arts festival, Gess she is happy to be back as what she calls the perfect place for people to interact with her product. 

The M&G also spoke with Phatoxolo Qwabe who makes wire art and sells it on the street. 

“I live on the street and this is one of the ways I try to make money,” says Qwabe, who goes out every day to look for wire. Unfortunately, it is not easy to sell his creations.

“No one trusts you when you live on the street … which is why I try my best to make sure that I produce good quality work with the little that I have,” he says. 

The festival offers him more opportunities to make sales, but Qwabe says the art should not  stop when the annual event ends. 

“I do not depend on the festival as it comes and goes, but every year I do hope I get some sort of a break or recognition, if I don’t, I will still be on this corner, working the wires till someone sees me,” he says.