iSimangaliso Wetlands Park

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Weaving Nature Into Livelihood
A product development initiative that turned natural grasses into design-forward products — rooted in place, rich in potential.
Artisans in the iSimangaliso region were skilled in harvesting and weaving natural grasses, but lacked access to design mentorship and markets that could elevate their craft from subsistence to sustainable income.
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Artisans trained
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Collaboration with local conservation NGOs
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Product line developed for eco-tourism markets
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Featured at heritage and craft fairs in KwaZulu-Natal
ART AID worked with local weavers to co-create high-quality, market-ready products using traditional techniques and locally sourced materials. The program connected ecological knowledge with design innovation and enterprise training.
Weavers produced sellable, eco-conscious products aligned with conservation values and cultural identity .
A person holds a cardboard frame on white paper with one hand whilst cutting along its edge using a red utility knife. Only the hands and part of the frame are visible. The background includes a patterned green surface.
Two dark-skinned hands work on a white surface. One hand holds a black marker, drawing lines inside a large outlined shape, while the other hand holds a white seashell. The shape resembles a face or mask, and the background is plain.
Close-up of a woven textile featuring blue and reddish-brown vertical stripes, with a thin cream stripe and a wider olive green stripe. In the lower left corner, part of a round, green woven basket or mat is visible, emphasising texture and colour contrast.
Four people stand indoors facing large windows, hanging up drawings of seashells on sheets of white paper. Sunlight streams in, casting their silhouettes. Outside, cars, palm trees, and the sea are visible through the glass.
A close-up of the base of a woven basket with dark blue and white alternating bands in a chequered pattern. The surface underneath is a light beige fabric, and the shadow of the basket is visible on the left side.
A close-up of a woven textile featuring vertical stripes in blue, rust red, green, and cream, with a circular woven green element at the top and a rectangular section of green textured weaving near the bottom. The patterns and textures are clearly visible.
Close-up of two woven, circular baskets stacked together. The top basket has concentric rings in black, yellow, and pink, whilst the bottom one features rings in green and pink. The texture of the tightly woven fibres is clearly visible.
A woman wearing a red headscarf and patterned waistcoat holds a disposable camera up to her face. She has a name tag reading
A woven basket with a spiral pattern in alternating black and natural beige sections, forming a geometric, hypnotic design that radiates from the centre outward; the fibre texture is visible, showing intricate craftsmanship.
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Black text in all capital letters forms a circle on a white background. The text reads: "WHERE INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE BECOMES INDUSTRY." The words are arranged so the sentence wraps in a continuous ring.
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