| Summary: | A Research Report Submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in Partial Fulfilment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts
February 2014 === The report explores the South African craft policy framework using, as a case-study, the
iSimangaliso Craft Programme in KwaZulu-Natal, and its attempts to assist rural women craft
producers through a partnership with a major South African home décor chain store. The purpose
was to examine the feasibility of South African craft policy in the rural context, the extent to which
rural women benefit from craft production and sales in the market economy; and the constraints
on the actors in the craft sector (including the crafters) with regards to the creation or
transformation of rural craft producers into small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs).
The study used the Sustainable Livelihoods (SL) framework to shift the research focus away from
craft for economic benefit to the broader perspective of ‘tangible and intangible costs and
benefits’. The livelihood outcomes the women crafters pursued, the strategies they adopted to
achieve them, and the extent to which the Craft Programme fitted into their lives were examined.
An actor-oriented approach helped determine the ‘social interface’ or dynamics between the
actors in the sector when they try to implement craft policy. The research was qualitative, and
mixed methods such as semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data.
Thematic content analysis was used to mine data for information relating to the main research
questions.
The study found that the women crafters draw on multiple strategies to cope and that craft is
desirable for its ability to ‘fit’ with other livelihood strategies. The study also found that SMME
development policy created a strain on both craft producers and government agencies. It is
suggested that a ‘context-sensitive’ and people-centred framework for craft development is
needed.
The South African government needs to consider the contexts of craft producers and develop
appropriate interventions aligned to the social and economic outcomes that people pursue. One
possible option is the social enterprise ‘market intermediary’ model which provides services to its
target population to help them access markets. This model could leverage resources from both
sectors to create truly economic and social value for rural craft producers.
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