New Beaded Bib Necklaces in the making...

Design Day at Quazi.

The Ultimate in Recycling

The ultimate in recycling at our workshop in Swaziland.

Work tables are made from old doors, beads are organised in egg boxes and shelves are made from magazine bricks.

Artisan Story

Bonsile is an extremely hard working woman who is happy to share her skills and ideas with other woman. After school she decided to learn to become a seamstress, training with an individual who taught her how to use a machine, and she started her own business, designing and sewing track suits, cardigans and gloves for children. Realising that in order to sell she needs a unique product she would buy scraps from the local textile factories and create her own designs. Bonsile came to work for Quazi in 2010 at the age of 32, first as a seamstress and she has mastered how to make all our products. Alone, she pays school fess for three children and supports four people on her salary. She is a true believer that skills should be shared and women should support each other; having learnt traditional mat making from her mother she has passed on her hand craft skills to her children and says “to show other women how to  make something is important.”

Artisan Story

Josephine is a softly spoken, eloquent and independent woman who started with Quazi in 2012. Brought up by her Zambian father who instilled in her the idea that a person should work hard and not rely on others in order to achieve anything she is quietly ambitious. Coming from a close knit family, she went to a local multicultural English school and at the age of 19 found work at a pre-school. She then went on to work for a bridal company and made trips to Mozambique to buy second hand clothes to sell in order to make an income. Having quit her job in order to spend more time with her 7 year old daughter she found out about Quazi Design at the age of 34. Not having any background in hand skills she is picking up the techniques quickly and settling into her new work, proud of the products she makes. Currently saving to build a house on Swazi nation land she says that if she could give her daughter anything it would be “to be independent and not rely on other people”.

Artisan Story

Sibongile is our primary artisan, having started with us in 2009. Selfless, astute and giving, she believes in education and entrepreneurship; volunteering in her community to teach people life skills, English, Siswati and encouraging them to start their own businesses.  Passing on her knowledge to her three children she is paying for her son to go to university in South Africa and her two daughters both have high hopes and dreams for their future. 

Since a young age Sibongile has loved working with her hands, knitting and crocheting, and therefore becoming production manager and head trainer at Quazi at the age of 44 was an easy transition. Having assisted Quazi grow she has a clear understanding that in order for a business to be successful products should be of high quality and in her own words “products should be made with love” proving in her own work that this is true. Most importantly Sibongile is profoundly aware that in order to achieve success personal happiness is essential. 

Besides wanting to buy her own car and homestead her dream is to open a child day care centre.

Paper fashion at the SWIFT Swaziland Fair Trade parade showcased at Bushfire International Festival of the Arts. Pictures taken by Bram Lammers

Custom jewellery

Collaboration with Le Quartier Francais in the Cape.

Using their floral brochures and siganture colours we created some beautiful jewellery pieces.

Workshop

We are very excited to have finally moved into our new space in Sidwashini, Mbabane. A large light filled workshop where tables are made from old doors, trestles from pallets and storage space from old wood.

This saturday is the opening of Life Cycle, a collaborative exhibition exploring contemporary upcycled furnture designa and unconventional art. Quazi Design have been one of the drivers behind this unique exhibition in Swaziland. It is a great opportunity for us to showcase products and designs that are one off pieces, resourceful and unusual and thoughtful. The exhibition will run from May 5th till June 8th and will coincide with the Bushfire international festival of the arts.

Design Indaba

Pictures from our stand at the Design Indaba Expo in Cape Town, 1st to the 4th of March 2012.

"TAKE HOME THE BEST OF SOUTH AFRICAN CREATIVITY"

The Quazi Design process...

We are very excited to be collaborating with Josie Shenoy, a talented illustrator from the UK who is busy working on a brochure for Quazi Design. We love her style and creativity and will keep our readers updated with the lastest illustrations.