Western Cape craft excels at trade shows

The Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI) is assisting four Western Cape craft producers in preparing to take part in London's Top Drawer lifestyle show from 12-14 September 2010. This is part of its export and local development programmes to increase sales for local crafters, who have racked up sales and orders worth over R1 million at several local and international trade and consumer shows this year.

CCDI stand at Decorex Cape Town

Vuyisile Mshudulu, CCDI market access manager: exports and retail outlets, said that earlier this year 14 Western Cape companies at Ambiente in France collectively made over 400 contacts with buyers and conducted trade worth about R556 000.

It will take part in a range of South African trade and consumer shows during 2010. These will include fashion items at The Show at the Roodebloem Studios from 11-12 May; the Homemakers Expo (2-5 September) at the CTICC; the Outdoor Expo at Bien Donne in Franschhoek (8-10 October); and the Baby Expo at the CTICC (29-31 October).

Success stories

23 craft producers racked up R76 000 of sales at the Design Indaba Expo in February
Six craft producers on a 36m² stand took orders worth over R194 600 from retail buyers at the business-to-business SARCDA International trade show, held at Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg from 11-14 March. The CCDI also won an award and trophy for its design focus.
It exhibited for the first time at the Decorex Durban consumer show from 19-22 March. The 21 participants on the 60m² stand notched up total sales of over R55 300 for items selling for as little as R25, to a wooden recliner worth R17 500. They also won an award for stand excellence.
75 Western Cape craft producers took part in a soccer-themed trade show organised by the CCDI at its Cape Town headquarters from 23-26 March. Its Handmade [Cape] Wholesale division processed R24 878 worth of quotations directly linked to the soccer trade show, and to date R18 552.79 has been converted into orders.
A CCDI gift shop set up at the CTICC from 7-12 March during the first International Congress of Actuaries held in Africa netted over R47 167 for 34 craft producers.
128m² CCDI stand in the restaurant section of the popular Cape Town International Jazz Festival held from 3-4 April attracted over R39 900 in sales of fashion and lifestyle accessories and music- and soccer-themed products.

CCDI market access manager, Jo-lene Sathorar at the CCDI stand at Decorex CT

Jo-lene Sathorar, CCDI market access manager: local and national markets, said, “It has been a whirlwind couple of months and we are delighted with the response. The institute is now in its tenth year and clearly the time and funding invested in growing craft producers through numerous supportive programmes is paying off. There is also far more appreciation of the beauty and uniqueness of handmade articles.”

Go to www.capecraftanddesign.org.za for more info.