Mountain Farm Lodge

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Project Title

Madi a Thavha Craft Art: Uncovering and furthering local art

Fruitful partnerships with the community

Project Partners

Madi a Thavha Tourism CC, trading as Madi a Thavha Mountain Farm Lodge and Madi a Thavha Craft Art, Madi a Thavha farming CC, trading as Madi a Thavha Design workshop, Tourism Village Trust, Leshiba Community Trust, all operating in Northern Limpopo

Location

Limpopo Province

Funding

Business Trust: R582,500

Madi a Thavha Mountain Farm Lodge: R648,500

Project Challenge

Madi a Thavha Craft Art (new whole sale organisation) will be part of Madi a Thavha Tourism CC. The members of Madi a Thavha Tourism CC and Madi a Thavha Farming CC are running a Fair Trade (FTTSA) certified 4 star lodge in the Soutpansberg and a design and sewing business, incorporating cultural heritage in their products and services. The lodge offers a cultural experience and tour programmes to overseas and South African tourists. The lodge also supports artists and crafters in the rural areas, accommodates a shop with heritage based Venda and Tsonga arts and crafts and runs a design and sewing workshop.

The project aims to establish a marketing and sales wholesale organisation for heritage based arts and crafts of the north of Limpopo. This is intended to address capacity limitations of small businesses in rural villages and enable access to markets outside of rural villages for these crafters and artists. It also aims to improve the quality of the arts and crafts businesses to meet the demands of the market and not simply produce craft without the market in mind. This will in turn boost the tourism sector in the area.

In addition to supplying retailers, the project aims to increase sales directly to customers. Madi a Thavha mountain farm lodge is identified as one such suitable place to sell directly to customers. A marketing plan was developed to increase the number of people visiting Madi a Thavha mountain farm lodge. Further, the new wholesale organisation intends to establish partnerships with one or more outlets in bigger cities to sell directly to the public, and the new Madi a Thavha Craft Art website will contribute to direct to customer sales.

Expected Project Impact

 

 

 

  • Increased income for 160 artists and craftersTransfer of business skills to artists and crafters
  • Demonstration of a demand led model for traditional arts and crafts
  • Spillovers into other markets (tourism, tours and cultural activities, corporate gifts, lodge interior design, uniforms for lodge staff)


Corporate Partners