Bag it online at Babazeka

In today's culture of consumerism, bling and ubiquitous brands, it is refreshing to find people who are a tad more down to earth in their retail thinking.

By Leizl Eykelhof

1 Feb 2010

Babazeka is an online store that celebrates everything handmade and sustainable.

All the products available have been made by people who are part of projects aimed at uplifting communities.

On top of this, many of the goodies have been made out of recyclable materials so they are kind to our environment too.

I came across the site because I was after a bag made by Mongoose. It is a company that was started by former fashion designer Ilze Reader in Menlyn, Pretoria.

Deciding that she needed a change, Reader employed two women from the surrounding townships to produce fashionable accessories and decor items.

Her range of bags has been made using hand printed fabrics and beadwork by women in rural areas.

They have a distinctly South African flavour — think windmills, three-legged pots and aloes — and just shout “funky”.

Another of my favourites on this site is a company called Heartfelt, which creates gorgeous bookmarks and fridge magnets from pieces of felt. Most of the items are tiny and meticulously stitched and each heart is made in loving memory of the founder's son.

If you are after something unique with that home-made appeal, then head straight for Babazeka and support local artists.

Each item is made to order and the production time is given with the details on the site. There is also a gift-wrapping and tag service to add to the convenience. See www.babazeka.com.

Source: The Times

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