The South is Blooming is an online shop selling ethically-traded contemporary craft and design from (South) Africa.
We have two criteria when sourcing our products:
♥ do they remember where they came from?
♥ do they have the vibe?
Our basic motivation is the desire to share our experience of the creativity, originality and artisanship of designers and craftspeople in (South) Africa.
Our abiding interest is in bringing this creative talent to the attention of the rest of the world – both through our shop and our blog.
We like products with good provenance and we like to tell you about that provenance – that’s why you’ll find extensive profiles of our labels in our Features section and photos of the craftswomen alongside product shots. No anonymous production lines here – our products are made by individuals, handcrafted with care, and very often one-of-a-kind.
We work exclusively with small, original design-led craft studios, most of which are non-profit income-generating enterprises, and design studios which contribute to a contemporary African aesthetic and celebrate our cultural heritage.
All of our producers contribute to skills development and renewal, and employment opportunity, in their local communities. All of our products are an expression of modern Africa in all her diversity and beauty.
We are also interested in updating people’s notions of African design and culture, and highlighting its influence in global trends in fashion, design and music – please subscribe to our blog if this interests you too.
We do hope you enjoy buying from our shop and following us on our blog!
Our principles:
♥ Design-led craftsmanship
♥ Buying local, globally
♥ Original design in unexpected places
♥ Treasured one-offs
♥ A short and transparent path between craftsperson and customer
♥ Supporting Africa’s creative talent, both raw and refined
♥ Contemporary updates of traditional methods and motifs
♥ Buying less, paying more: choosing for high-quality products that will stay with you for a long time
A percentage of the profits from the South is Blooming will be donated to the Keiskamma Trust.