Improved designs and new business skills increase sales for crafters

Wed, 11 March 2009

“It is with great admiration of your company and what it stands for that we conclude that no amount of words can equal your contribution to our community. Your future contributions shall be pleasurably met and duly welcome.” -- Masuluke MC, Project Co-ordinator, Mtititi Magic.

Final Report:Khumbulani Craft provides business skills training for Kruger Park crafters

Craft groups living adjacent to the Kruger National Park experience high levels of poverty and unemployment, as well as a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Opportunities for formal employment are limited. The crafters have retail venues at various gates to the park, consisting of a shop front, a workshop and a storeroom. However, lack of product innovation and diversity, as well as inconsistent product quality, compromises the income-generating potential of these shops.

Boosting the business skills of selected Kruger National Park crafters is helping them to diversify their product ranges and produce higher-quality crafts, enabling them to benefit from the vibrant eco-tourism industry. This project was a partnership between Khumbulani Craft and the Kruger National Park’s Department of People and Conservation. The aim was to provide 60 crafters from four craft co-operatives with training to boost their shops' product offerings and improve their income-generation capacity.

Impact

A total of 56 Kruger Park crafters benefited from design, craft and business skills training and the training programme was well-received by all. Their sales have improved considerably.

Skukuza Alliance

Directly after training, sales increased as tourists bought new craft items which were smaller and could be packed more easily. Tourists also commented on the new colour applications.

Hlanganani Crafters

The communities at the Phalaborwa and Punda Maria gates are very poor, with craft production and vegetable gardens being their main source of income. Ms Masuluke confirmed that the lives of some of the members were positively impacted as a result of the training. The group opened another bank account for investing money that they save from their income, after they have deducted money for materials and hidden costs, such as electricity.

Activities

Skukuza Alliance

27 crafters from the Skukuza Alliance at the Numbi gate and the Kruger gate received the following training:

• 15 days of craft development training (21 May – 8 June 2007)
• Five days of business skills training (11 – 15 June 2007)

The crafters in the Skukuza Alliance transferred their skills and knowledge to 16 additional crafters from the community, who sell their crafts on the Numbi and Skukuza roads. These crafters were made aware of the following:

• Applying trends in craft production
• Pricing of products
• Usage of good-quality material
• Monitoring of quality

Hlanganani Crafters

29 Hlanganani crafters at the Phalaborwa gate and the Punda Maria gate received the following training:

• 15 days of craft development training (20 August – 14 September 2007)
• Five days of business skills training (10-14 August 2007)

Christina Masuluke from the Mtititi Magic Project trained a further twenty ladies from the community in the following:

• Technical application to enhance the quality of craft
• Utilising cultural designs in the work
• Costing and pricing

The training included the following:

• Design craft – searching for ideas and identifying markets
• Craft materials and tools – identifying and selecting appropriate materials, tools and equipment
• Craft production – manipulating raw materials into a design
• Craft briefs – evaluating specifications in terms of the requirements
• Craft evaluation – evaluating the craft against specifications and quality
• Craft production and planning – preparing and organising production sites, controlling agreed production schedules and participating in a production team
• Stock control – obtaining material and controlling stock
• Costing and pricing – determining production and marketing costs
• Craft enterprise – basic administration and presentation techniques.

All training was successfully implemented.

Expenditure

The cost of the project was R143,280, which has been paid in full.

Description	Total Budget	Actual Expenses - 1st Tranche	Actual Expenses - 2nd Tranche	Balance
Trainer: Basic Crafter and Business Skills training – 40 days @ R1 500 per day	60 000	30 000	30 000	-
Travel: Trainer to Kruger National Park venue and return AA tariff	10 800	5 400	5 400	-
Accommodation: Trainer – 40 nights @ R250 per night	10 000	4 380	5 620	-
Subsistence: Trainer – 40 days @ R100 per day	4 000	2 000	2 000	-
Training materials	50 000	24 801	24 902	297
Administration	8 480	4 750	3 730	-
Total	143 280	71 331	71 652	297

Challenges

The training venue for the first group, initially the Numbi Hotel, was a problem. The Kruger National Park misunderstood their responsibility to source and bear the cost of the venue. However, after an urgent meeting with the relevant person, the problem was resolved and an alternative training venue was located in Mkhuhlu.

Some of the most skilled wood carvers in the Skukuza Alliance have passed away, while others have moved to locations nearer the main tourist roads.

The Hlanganani Crafters are located in a very remote part of the province, which makes monitoring and visiting difficult. However, Khumbulani Craft is in communication with the crafters on a monthly basis.

Monitoring and evaluation

Khumbulani Craft and the Kruger National Park Department of People and Conservation monitor the impact of the training through visits to the beneficiaries, as well as telephonic contact with the various groups. New product lines, improved craft quality and greater income generation are markers of the success of the training. The crafters enjoyed the training workshop and requested that follow-up sessions be conducted.

Skukuza Alliance

Members from the Skukuza Alliance are visited by Khumbulani field staff twice a month. The training impacted on the quality of the products, with crafters applying what they had learnt, e.g sanding skills, better measuring techniques and decorative applications. Some crafters translated the learning experience into product improvements more quickly than others.

Three members from the group have passed away – two members died just after the training and one member died more recently. One member moved to a self-made venue next to the road going to Kruger Park, anticipating that this would increase sales. Crafters at the Alliance are still producing craft based on designs that were developed during the training. Khumbulani Craft is assisting the group to sell some of the products that were developed during the training programmes and to source jacaranda wood.

The Skukuza Alliance received the following training after the Khumbulani Craft training: * Old Mutual – Skills training in application of colour to grasses (one week) * Old Mutual – Business administration focusing on retail and wholesale skills, costing and pricing, business administration, merchandising and display (two weeks) * SADA: Craft Enterprise Development Training focusing on quality assurance, order processing, business skills, branding and packaging (three weeks)

As the Skukuza Alliance indicated that they would prefer shorter interventions with minimal interruption to their daily work, Khumbulani Craft will assist the group with product development every second Friday when they collect their money at the Numbi gate shop.

Monitoring and evaluation of the group will continue on an ongoing basis.

Hlanganani Crafters

These communities are located in the far northern side of the Limpopo Province, 450km from Nelspruit, which makes it difficult to visit regularly. Khumbulani Craft therefore communicates with the groups on a monthly basis.

The group is producing new product lines and the quality in terms of the production process and usage of materials has improved. The group mainly retails through local sales and an outlet in Louis Trichardt, Madi A Thava.

Ms Christina Masuluke, manager of the Mtititi Magic group at the Punda Maria gate, contacts Khumbulani Craft regularly to update them on the group’s progress. The group is selling well as they are a visiting point on the Hlanganani Open Africa Tourism Route and they were featured in a recent magazine article (Country Life: September 2008 issue).

Ms Masuluke reports that the sales of the dolls in particular have improved. Ms Masuluke goes out of her way to source new, high-quality materials. The group designed their own Christmas decorations based on design principles obtained from the training programme. The group participates in local, provincial and national craft exhibitions where the sales of their wares are good. Khumbulani Craft markets small keyrings and fridge magnets made from recycled motor tyres from a crafter who participated in the training programme. He receives orders telephonically, produces on time and posts the order to the office.

The group has also applied some of the new applications they learned through the Khumbulani Craft training to curtains that were ordered by a guest house.

The crafters enjoyed the training workshops and requested follow-up sessions focusing on new designs and quality control. A follow-up workshop with the Hlanganani Crafters is planned for April 2009.

Both groups noticed that sales slowed in the second half of 2008 as fewer visitors passed through Numbi and Punda Maria gates. It is believed that this slowdown in visitors is a result of the global economic slow-down.

Khumbulani Craft and the Kruger National Park Department of People and Conservation will continue to monitor the impact of the training through visits to the beneficiaries. New product lines, improved craft quality and greater income generation are the markers of the success of the training.

Conclusions

The skills acquired in product development, design and business administration have resulted in increased sales, enabling the crafters to improve the lives of themselves and their families.

Improved sales for 56 trained Kruger Park crafters

Fri, 26 October 2007

“We are very happy with the success of this training programme. It will impact positively on the crafters by giving them appropriate skills to manage their businesses and increase sales through vastly improved products in terms of design, quality and diversity.”

Khumbulani Craft: Business skills training for Kruger Park crafters

Boosting the business skills of selected Kruger National Park crafters is helping them to diversify their product ranges and produce higher quality crafts, thereby enabling them to benefit from more vibrant eco-tourism businesses. This project is a partnership between Khumbulani Craft and the Kruger National Park’s Department of People and Conservation and aimed to provide 30 crafters from 4 craft co-operatives with training to significantly boost their shops' product offerings and improve their income-generation capacity.

Impact

A total of 56 Kruger Park crafters benefited from design, craft and business skills training and early indications are that the training programme was extremely well received by all crafters and that their sales have improved considerably.

Activities

Training was delivered from 21 May to 8 June 2007 to 27 crafters from the Ehlanzeni district and from 20 August to 14 September 2007 to 29 crafters at Mtititi from the Mopani and Vhembe districts, adjacent to the Kruger National Park.

The training included: * Design Craft – searching for ideas and identifying markets * Craft materials and tools – identifying and selecting appropriate materials, tools and equipment * Craft production – manipulating raw materials into a design * Craft briefs – evaluating specifications in terms of the requirements * Craft evaluation – evaluating the craft against given specifications and quality * Craft production and planning – preparing and organising production sites, controlling agreed production schedules and participating in a production team * Stock control – obtaining material and controlling stock * Costing and pricing – determining production and marketing costs * Craft enterprise – basic administration and presentation techniques.

All training was successfully implemented.

Expenditure

The cost of the project is R 143,280, which has been paid in full.

Description	Total Budget	Actual Expenses - 1st Tranche	Actual Expenses - 2nd Tranche	Balance
Trainer: Basic Crafter and Business Skills training 40 days @ R1500 per day	60,000.00	30,000.00	30,000.00	-
Travel: Trainer to KNP venue and return AA tariff	10,800.00	5,400.00	5,400.00	-
Accommodation: Trainer 40 nights @ R250 per night	10,000.00	4,380.00	5,620.00	-
Subsistence: Trainer 40 days @ R100 per day	4,000.00	2,000.00	2,000.00	-
Training materials for 30 participants	50,000.00	24,801.50	24,902.09	296.41
Administration	8,480.00	4,750.00	3,730.00	-
TOTAL	143,280.00	71,331.50	71,652.09	296.41

Challenges

The training venue for the first group – initially the Numbi Hotel – was a problem. The Kruger National Park misunderstood their responsibility in sourcing and bearing the cost of the venue. However, after an urgent meeting with the relevant person, the problem was resolved and an alternative training venue was located in Mkhuhlu.

Monitoring and evaluation

Khumbulani Craft and the Kruger National Park Department of People and Conservation will monitor the impact of the training through visits to the beneficiaries during the months after the training programme. New product lines, improved craft quality and greater income generation will be markers of the success of the training.

The crafters enjoyed the training workshop and requested that follow-up sessions be conducted.

Monitoring and evaluation will continue in the coming months.

Conclusions

Craft groups living adjacent to the Kruger National Park experience high levels of poverty and unemployment, as well as a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and limited opportunities for formal employment. These crafters have shop venues at various gates to the park consisting of a shop front, a workshop space and a storeroom. However, the lack of product innovation and diversity, as well as inconsistent product quality, compromises the income-generating potential of these shops.

This project has empowered 56 crafters, who each have up to eight people depending on them, to improve their lives. Once the crafters have produced updated products, they will be presented to new buyers and the crafters will be selling them from their various outlets. It is anticipated that the skills acquired in product development will increase their sales which means that no further funding will be required unless additional training needs are identified.

Khumbulani Craft Report

Wed, 15 August 2007

Khumbulani Craft: Providing Kruger National Park Crafters with craft development and basic business skills training

This project in which Khumbulani Craft is involved in boosting the skills of selected Kruger National Park crafters is well underway. The project is assisting the crafters in diversifying their product ranges and producing higher quality crafts, thereby enabling them to benefit from more vibrant eco-tourism businesses.

The project received an instalment of R85 000 from SASIX on 21 May 2007. The full cost of the project is R143 280 (not including the SASIX administration, monitoring and evaluation fee), with R58 280 still to be received.

Implementation of project activities to date

Craft groups living adjacent to the Kruger National Park experience high levels of poverty and unemployment, as well as a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and limited opportunities for formal employment. These crafters have shop venues at various gates to the Kruger National Park consisting of a shop front, a workshop space and a store-room. However, the lack of product innovation and diversity as well as inconsistent product quality compromises the income-generating potential of these shops. Although the shops are ideally situated, products need to be improved and upgraded in order to appeal to more of the tourists passing through the Kruger National Park gates.

Training

Two of four weeks’ training were delivered by Mrs Laurette van Zyl from 21 May to 8 June 2007. Training comprises:

1. Craft development
   • Design craft – searching for ideas and identifying markets
   • Craft materials and tools – identifying and selecting appropriate materials, tools and equipment for particular craft production
   • Craft production – manipulating the raw materials into a given design of craft product
   • Craft briefs – evaluating specifications in terms of the requirements
   • Craft evaluation – evaluating the craft against given specifications and quality.

2. Basic business skills
• Craft production and planning – preparing and organizing production sites; controlling agreed production schedules and participating in a production team
• Stock control – obtaining material and controlling stock
• Costing and pricing – determining production and marketing costs
• Craft enterprise – operating in a craft enterprise – basic administration and presentation techniques.

Travel

Part of training programme – 50% implementation

Accommodation and subsistence

Part of training programme – 50% implementation

Materials

Materials purchased

Administration

Required administration to date has been implemented

Project expenditure to date

Item	Budget	Actual expenditure	Balance of funding
Trainer: Basic Training Programme 40 days @ R1 500	60 000	30 000	30 000
Travel: Trainer to venue: AA tariff	10 800	5 400	5 400
Accommodation trainer: R250 per night – 40 days	10 000	4 380	5 620
Subsistence trainer: 40 days X R100	4 000	2 000	2 000
Materials	50 000	24 992	25 008
Administration	8 848	3 800	4 680
TOTAL	143 280	70 572	72 708




Beneficiaries of the project

The training programme has not been completed. 30 Kruger National Park crafters and their households are benefiting from the project. As their income increases, and with a generally accepted dependency rate of eight people per crafter, this means that a further 240 people will also benefit directly.

Challenges faced in implementation

Initially we had a problem with the training venue which was planned to be at the Numbi Hotel. The Kruger National Park misunderstood their responsibility in sourcing and bearing the cost of the venue – clearly stated in the original training proposal. However, after an urgent meeting with the relevant person, the problem was resolved and an alternative training venue was located in Mkhuhlu at no additional cost.

Monitoring and evaluation

Khumbulani Craft and the Kruger National Park Department of People and Conservation will monitor the impact of the training through visits to the beneficiaries during the months after the training programme. New product lines, improved craft quality and greater income generation will be markers of the success of the training.

It is anticipated that the training programme will impact positively on the crafters by giving them appropriate skills to a) manage their businesses and b) increase sales through vastly improved product ranges in terms of design, quality and diversity.

Conclusions

In terms of the country’s priorities, job creation / income generation is central. This project will empower 30 crafters to improve their lives and those of their dependents.

Once the crafters have produced new products, we at Khumbulani Craft will be presenting them to our buyers and the crafters will be selling them from their various outlets. It is anticipated that the skills acquired in product development will increase the crafters’ sales. No further funding will be required unless additional training is called for.