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In the South African handicraft sector, there is scarcely any significant research on the development of designs and product innovation. Extensive work has not been carried out by the producers to re-orient designs, colours and pattern of the product produced to suit the international standards. This study investigated the role of innovative design towards the sustainable development of handicraft industries through a case study of the Western Cape province of South Africa. The research focuses on the possibility of craft design for sustainable development of the handicraft products to aid in the economic development of the local community. The paper present results from a structured interview with producers, enablers, and buyers of handicraft products in the Western Cape province. The conclusion of the paper presents key findings from the structured interviews. These consist of the interventions for craft design for sustainable development and the handicraft product that has the highest potential for future development. Recommendations are provided for design approaches to the handicraft sector’s sustainable development, i.e. reproduction, modification and innovation.
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African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and
Development
ISSN: 2042-1338 (Print) 2042-1346 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rajs20
The role of design in sustainable development of
handicraft industries
Oluwayemisi Adebola Oyekunle & Mziwoxolo Sirayi
To cite this article: Oluwayemisi Adebola Oyekunle & Mziwoxolo Sirayi (2018) The role of design
in sustainable development of handicraft industries, African Journal of Science, Technology,
Innovation and Development, 10:4, 381-388, DOI: 10.1080/20421338.2018.1461968
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/20421338.2018.1461968
Published online: 20 Jun 2018.
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The role of design in sustainable development of handicraft industries
Oluwayemisi Adebola Oyekunle
1
*and Mziwoxolo Sirayi
2
1
Faculty of Management Sciences, Business School, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
2
Faculty of Economics and Finance, Institute for Economic Research on Innovation, UNESCO Chair in Cultural Policy and Sustainable
Development, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
*Corresponding author. email: yemisuga@yahoo.com
In the South African handicraft sector, there is scarcely any signicant research on the development of designs and product
innovation. Extensive work has not been carried out by the producers to re-orient designs, colours and pattern of the product
produced to suit the international standards. This study investigated the role of innovative design towards the sustainable
development of handicraft industries through a case study of the Western Cape province of South Africa. The research
focuses on the possibility of craft design for sustainable development of the handicraft products to aid in the economic
development of the local community. The paper present results from a structured interview with producers, enablers,
and buyers of handicraft products in the Western Cape province. The conclusion of the paper presents key ndings from
the structured interviews. These consist of the interventions for craft design for sustainable development and the
handicraft product that has the highest potential for future development. Recommendations are provided for design
approaches to the handicraft sectors sustainable development, i.e. reproduction, modication and innovation.
Keywords: handicraft, innovation, craft-design, development, sustainability
Introduction
The handicraft industry has been unstable in South Africa
for the past 20 years. The quality of cultural artefacts has
been declining quickly, whereas commercial handicrafts,
particularly those produced essentially for the tourist
market, are not doing well. The handicraft sectors have
been recognized as a solution to sustainable economic
development, as they can offer opportunities for employ-
ment, especially in rural areas, and contribute to economic
growth and environmental sustainability (United Nations
Industrial Development Organization 2005; United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development 2008).
Hence, the production of traditional handicrafts offers
the national economy socio-cultural and environmental
benets within the context of sustainable development.
On the other hand, it has been noted that over the last
two decades several traditional handicrafts, worldwide,
have either disappeared or are in sharp decline (Mohanty
1990; Harrod 1997; Jacobs 2012). Many researchers
have identied strong connections between handicrafts
and sustainable development (Nugraha 2012).
This research, therefore, explores the possibilities of
development in handicraft production and design
systems for viable product sustainability. The objective
of the research was to investigate the prospect for design
to contribute to the sustainable future of handicraft indus-
tries in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The
fundamental question this study set out to answer was:
What potential roles can design play to make a positive
contribution to the handicraft industry in the Western
Cape to help ensure its sustainability? The study used a
methodology involving a literature review and qualitative
data collection that employed structured face-to-face inter-
views. The research provides information on handicraft
classication in the Western Cape province of South
Africa and the challenges of design in the development
of handicraft enterprises. To establish that traditional
handicrafts work together with sustainable development,
this research observed the potential of craft design
approaches in relation to cultural handicraft preservation
and marketable handicrafts. The study found conclusively
that design can add value to the handicrafts sector in three
areas: products, market segments and levels of suppliers,
in the direction of key design for sustainable development.
Further research into other conceptual tools for facilitating
the understanding of the relationship between sustainable
development and product design are needed, as handicraft
industries are touted as a key to sustainable economic
development in South Africa.
Literature review
Why do Western Cape handicraft sectors need a design
strategy?
There is a pressing need for South Africa to grow its
economy and improve social conditions. In the 2000s,
the Department of Economic Development and Tourism
(DEDAT) identied the signicance of design as a
value-add to products originating from craft producers
and backed the founding of the Cape Craft and Design
Institute (CCDI) as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to
guide this development. Since 2010, DEDAT has furn-
ished support for the development of design and inno-
vation that will provide back-up support to handicraft
entrepreneurs to ease their growth as well as that of the
sector (Department of Economic and Development and
Tourism 2011, 136137). Kembaren et al. (2014, 68)
afrm that global development shows that innovative
design has a strong role to play in new product develop-
ment for the handicraft sectors. Design provides a
method and the instruments that allow the handicraft
sector to come up with new, feasible user-centred ideas
and patterns to guarantee that these can be brought to
market. Some products need to be re-designed to
enhance their eco-efciency, while others must be
African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development is co-published by NISC Pty (Ltd) and Informa Limited (trading as Taylor & Francis Group)
African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 2018
Vol. 10, No. 4, 381388, https://doi.org/10.1080/20421338.2018.1461968
© 2018 African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development
replaced with environmentally wide-ranging alternatives.
Therefore, design of handicraft, is identied as a tool
that could aid the sustainability of the industry.
Presently, the handicraft industries in the Western
Cape are showing encouraging signs of growth
(Abisuga-Oyekunle and Fillis 2016, 72). However, to con-
struct the innovation value chain, and thus build-up com-
petitiveness, there is a need to match the increasing
abilities and skills of design professionals with the handi-
craft sectors. Abisuga-Oyekunle and Fillis (2016, 71)
resolved that there is a need to create a supporting environ-
ment that encourages the best use of design to speed up
economic growth and improve the quality of life for all
in the Western Cape. The Cape Craft and Design Institute
(CCDI 2013, 4) also established that the Western Cape has
the following potential for design to add enormous value
to economic development:
.Progressive thinking at regional and local government
level
.A wealth of natural resources
.Cape Town as a destination that offers a suitable multi-
national location in which to position companiesR&
D facilities
.Cape Town and environs as a perfect location offering
excellent university facilities to partner with industry in
research
.A secure retail sector and associated point-of-sale
design.
Oyekunle (2015, 70) opined that sustainability of the
handicraft sector contains a development process that sus-
tains all types of creative assets, from traditional artworks,
minority cultures, heritage and artefacts, etc. Therefore, as
the South African handicraft sectors increase their business
skills and design, they have the prospect of making a posi-
tive, progressive impact on both urban and rural economies
and to produce considerable numbers of new jobs.
Handicraft design and sustainability
Bhamra and Lofthouse (2007, 2) observe that in the late-
twentieth century, some reviewers saw design and pro-
duction as an event that promotes over-consumption and
creates uneconomical products with short lifespans.
Design for sustainable development is a part of the
greater picture of sustainable development that gives a
wider framework for designing that is accountable, inter-
active, contextual, holistic, empowering, restorative, crea-
tive and visionary (Bhamra and Lofthouse 2007, 5). This
has been established to permit a constructive change for
sustainable designs of production and usage as well as
the formation of a long-term strategic vision for organiz-
ations, e.g. product innovation, procedure, additional
value that attracts customers, competition, cost-efciency
and environmental dependability (Bhamra and Lofthouse
2007, 29). The conception of design for sustainability
can incorporate the requirements of various stakeholders
(Walker 2006; Walker 2011; Nugraha 2012) in order to
maintain the supply and demand of handicrafts products.
Nevertheless, this research recognized four fundamental
stakeholders in the handicrafts sector in the area of
supply and demand, i.e. craft inheritors, crafters, product
designers and consumers.
It has been established that traditional handicrafts
provide local access that sometimes covers social,
environmental and economic objectives in practice (Van
Der Ryn and Cowan 2007,1920) through human
relationships with careful consideration to how crafters
make people use the objects they create. Therefore, hand-
made objects should be conserved for their social value,
primarily for humanity and nature. Thus, design, particu-
larly of daily objects, can help to create a society of sus-
tainability (Van Der Ryn and Cowan 2007, 20). Some
studies (e.g. Mustafa 2011; Harris 2014) believe that
designing handicraft products with a local approach and
the making of objects for long-term ownership can motiv-
ate sustainable development in both producers and consu-
mers. As a result of this, design researchers (e.g. Bonanni,
Parkes, and Ishii 2008; Ceschin, Vezzoli, and Zhang 2010;
United Nations 2013) argue that the connection between
design for sustainability and product design for the
renewal of crafts as a means of demonstrating well-
designed products that are environmentally dependable
(Oyekunle 2016, 70) provides quality employment oppor-
tunities and income, particularly for rural communities to
generate a sustainable livelihood.
Previous researchers (e.g. Murray 2011; Makhitha
2013)afrm that in the near future, the handicrafts
sector can be built through a social process whereby a
large number of people can engage in it as a means of live-
lihood, in capacity-building to promote the quality of the
work and as a capacity measure to develop entrepreneurial
skills. Makhita (2013, iii) also conrms that the South
African government has identied handicraft industries
as a main focus area contributing to economic growth, sus-
tainable development and employment opportunities.
Hence, building the handicrafts sector conforms to the
national governments strategic plan. Furthermore, recent
reports on the handicraft sector indicate that potential pro-
ducts with a high market share when new product designs
are constantly put in place are: textiles/garments and jew-
ellery, furniture, gifts, home decorations and toys,
(UNIDO 2005,44). Also, creatively designed jewellery
and toys are often traded items with very high volumes
of export goods (Howkins 2010, 20). Thomas (2006, 55)
explains that an organized evaluation of the economic
benets of handicraft activities is difcult, unlike other
types of economic activity that might be more protable
and sustainable. Nevertheless, under certain conditions,
handicraft production can play an important role in
poverty alleviation for more people than farming.
Development by design and the South African
handicraft sector
In a developing South Africa, design has a major role to
play in the reshaping of the nation that has communities
in serious need of upliftment. Buchanan (2001, 1) puts
forward that the need for designers to signicantly grip
into the content of their work is necessary for the wellbeing
and prosperity of society. Buchanan (2001, 4) also opined
that design can play a role in building a new nation in South
Africa. Buchanan (2001) further depicts design to be a
382 Oyekunle and Sirayi
practical discipline of responsible action, and with the
responsibility to materialize the highest values of a
country and culture into a tangible reality, and by this
means enable designers to transform intellectual ideas
into a clear and practicable form. Buchanan (2001, 4) pro-
vides proof for this practical aspect by considering the level
at which designs affect peoples lives, that is: it is through
the practise of design that all objects and communications
are, helping people to meet their needs and accomplish their
desires. It is via the interchange of information and ideas,
which is made possible by the design practice, that both
civil and political life is shaped.
In South Africa, many underprivileged communities
rely on their craft-producing skills to earn a living.
However, there are discrepancies in the estimates of the
number of crafters employed in the craft sector. For
example, it was established in 2004 that 1.2 million
people are employed by the craft sector, which generates
over R3.5 billion in revenue each year (Beyond Planning
to Action 2006, 6). But, in 2005, the Department of Trade
and Industry estimated that only 38,062 people were
employed or gained income from the craft sector, and that
the sector contributed approximately R2 billion to the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Beyond Planning to
Action 2006, 6). Nevertheless, in the case of this study,
the accurateness of these statistics is not as crucial as the
reality that the craft sector provides a point of entry into
the economy for a large number of people, especially the
rural youth and women from local communities. Many pro-
vincial and city authorities have joined their efforts towards
creative clustering in towns and cities to demonstrate the
role of design and creative products in job creation, commu-
nity empowerment and social cohesion (Oyekunle 2017,5).
In connection with the prospect of design interven-
tion in social life, the design process used when manufac-
turing goods and products allows sustainable
development. This comprises the processes and structure
of fundamental interaction and communication, which is
used to strategize and produce activities and services
within social life. Buchanan (2001, 5) emphasizes the
signicance of these interactions and transactions in the
social and economic structure of South Africa. In
addition, Buchanan (2001) asserts that design plays an
essential role in the creation of building complex frame-
works of human arts.
Presently, there are many impoverished communities
in South Africa that depend on their craft-making skills
for a living. Abisuga-Oyekunle and Fillis (2016, 60) in
their study on the role of handicraft micro-enterprises as
a catalyst for youth employment, found that there could
be an improvement in living conditions through income
generated by the business activities from the handicraft
products.The nature of the South African craft industry
is constantly changing, with several businesses perpetually
opening and closing. On the other hand, there are many
units involved in the South African craft industry. These
consist of government departments like:
.The Department of Trade and Industry,
.The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and
Technology.
They also consist of associations and organizations
like:
.The National Arts Council,
.Craft Council of South Africa,
.Arts and Culture Trust,
.Cape Craft and Design Institute,
.Parastatals (e.g. Business and Arts South Africa).
Many organizations have been working independently
to uplift the craft industry, but they do not focus on predo-
minant issues, and thereby lack substantial progress. If the
development of the handicraft industry remains inden-
able, the industry will continue to be in disorder.
Thomas (2006, 55) supports that this approach is not sus-
tainable. The design and development of craft products, in
addition to marketing skills, are idealistic, but the long-
term sustainability of this type of industry must be given
careful consideration.
Problems of the handicraft sector
While South African handicrafts received imperial and
noble patronage many decades ago, currently they have
slowly lost relevance with the arrival of industrialization.
Presently, the industry carries the stigma of inferiority,
backwardness and stagnancy, and is regarded as decora-
tive and elitist. This is heightened by the governments
treatment of handicrafts as a twilight industry, because
of a lack of well-developed policies and plans to protect
and strengthen the ecosystem for the craft worker.
Weakness in traditional handicrafts
South Africa, a country with ancient, intricate rites and an
exceptional tradition of rich arts and crafts, is confronted
with a fast decline in the production of traditional handi-
crafts. This decline is evident in every province of South
Africa and includes products like jewellery, woodcraft
and textiles (Shah and Patel 2017).
Two alternative points of views on developing handicrafts:
Preservation or for trade
A preservation point of view gives importance to the con-
servation or innovation of traditional handicrafts for cultural
values, while a commercial view emphasizes on the adop-
tion of traditional handicrafts for better capacities of pro-
duction for better economic sustainability. Unfortunately,
these contradictory viewpoints appear to hinder sustainable
development of the entire sector. Besides, both methods
share a common problem, which is an unsteady demand
for handicraft products (Richard 2007,14).
A requirement for sustainable development
Handicraft production in the Western Cape varies relative
to a changing market demand. Thus, handicraft producers
require sustainable development for many reasons, such as
economic success, social wellbeing, cultural preservation
and environmental responsibility (Ofce of Small and
Medium Enterprises Promotion 2010).
Lack of studies of current developments in handicrafts
There are insufciencies in the study of recent develop-
ments in handicrafts relative to the handicrafts of previous
African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development 383
times, especially regarding commercialization (Cohen
2000).
Design interventions in the South African handicraft
sector
Craft production is strongly backed by the fair-trade
sector, which is regularly supported by local or inter-
national NGOs. However, it can be vulnerable to changing
market and fashion trends, and so must have the capacity
to compete. It is also important that craft production has
good design input to ensure that goods are produced in
colours and in appropriate sizes that will sell (Thomas
2006, 60). Also, design input can give a product a
market advantage with regard to the appearance, useful-
ness or price. For instance, good design can mean less
material is utilized as a part of production, which
reduces costs and thus the selling price. Thomas (2006,
60) selects design interventions, especially aimed at the
rural communities, by identifying craft production as
one of the means by which poor producers can sustain
their livelihoods. Hence, designers can make use of
design in such a way that they can bring design to the
poor, improve their livelihoods through increased
income, and greatly improve the quality of goods, pro-
ducts and equipment available to them.
Design intervention in South Africa should primarily
work to uplift poverty-stricken communities and should
lay importance on human elevation. Oyekunle (2017,9)
asserts that this will enable a communitys participation
in decision-making in creating long-term social inclusion
and social sustainability. Thomas (2006, 65) argues that
the main consumer culture of design needs to be chal-
lenged, because the design community is not paying
enough attention to the social contribution that design
can make, not only in South Africa, but also regarding
global social issues such as climate change. Thomas
(2006, 59) analyses the contribution made by handicraft
design interventions for poverty reduction and four
aspects of sustainable development; social, economic,
institutional and environmental. These are shown in
Table 1.
In these analyses, the design input is either from an
external source or from a local source. The latter is of
low quality since local design abilities are not developed.
This is because there is little design education or training
available, especially for the rural poor. Abisuga-Oyekunle
and Fillis (2016, 71) suggest that education or training can
be achieved by introducing handicraft education in the
school curriculum of formal education, books, and teach-
ing material to assist with sustainability and the preser-
vation of handicrafts sectors and cultural values of the
community. Abisuga-Oyekunle and Fillis (2016) further
state that this will allow the youth to contribute to issues
that affect their communities and enhance their dedication
as cultural partners.
Methodology
The research method used for this study is qualitative data
collection, employing structured face-to-face interviews.
Research in design and the social sciences frequently
depends on a qualitative approach to create new design
thinking, design knowledge and cross-cultural work prac-
tices (Hall and Hall 1996; Valsecchi and Ciuccarelli 2009).
It is particularly practicable when considering the business
of innovation (Visocky OGrady and Visocky OGrady
2009). The tourist route of the Western Cape of South
Africa is recognized as having the strongest traditional
handicrafts production in the country, This tourist route
was therefore used for the study site of this research. Par-
ticipants in the structured interviews include 18 handi-
crafts producers, 9 enablers and 5 handicrafts buyers, all
of whom have engaged directly or indirectly in the handi-
crafts sector for 220 years. The decision-making tool
Plus/Minus/Interesting(PMI) is applied using numerals
to identify and decide on which handicraft is the most
promising. De Bono (1993), the father of creativity and
lateral thinking, developed the PMI thinking activity.
PMI (plus, minus, interesting) is a retrospective activity
that encourages interviewees to look at an idea from
more than one viewpoint. As illustrated by the Mind
tool Ltd.(2012), the PMI decision-making process is
adopted for this study to:
.help avoid decision-making paralysis and improve
understanding of the situation,
.make decisions quickly by analysing and weighing the
pros and cons and speed up the decision-making process,
Table 1: Handicraft design intervention and its impact on poverty reduction and phase of sustainable development.
Example and
design source
Benetto
poor people
Economically
sustainable
Environmentally
sustainable Socially sustainable
Institutionally
sustainable
Craft goods
made for export
External design
input
Enables
income
generation
Dependent on
fashion, and difcult
to please consumers
in distant markets.
Non-essential goods
Yes, in some cases. May
use available natural
resources, may recycle,
or may be very light on
resource input
Also social
development and
support can be given
between group
members: a meal may
be produced at the
workplace
Probably not. Depends
on the design of the
project itself. Often
reliant on a single person
whose input and
leadership are necessary
to drive the project
Craft
production,
informal
economy
Internal design
input
Income
generation
Depends on the local
market
Elements of
environmental
sustainability (e.g. if re-
cycled materials are
used)
Social development
among group members
Possibly, if no NGO or
donor-funded
involvement, but relies
on personal organization
Source:Thomas (2006, 59)
384 Oyekunle and Sirayi
.reect upon or evaluate most promising products,
.identify strengths and weaknesses for future
improvement.
Data collection
In order to create new design thinking and knowledge, par-
ticularly in cross-cultural work practices, different factors
obtained from primary and secondary sources ought to be
considered to recognize key issues, necessary conditions
and participants for engaging in the research activities of
practice-based research (Walker 2011). This study used
mixed methods, such as a literature review and structured
interviews with handicraft practitioners in the Western
Cape province of South Africa.
Results
The study identied six potential handicrafts that can be
developed for present-day market designs. The numerical
results demonstrated are not discrete enough to choose a
particular product as having the highest potential for sus-
tainable design for development. Hence, qualitative
content analysis is engaged to identify a single handicraft
for design intervention. Regarding the question about their
reasons for selection of a handicraft with the high potential
for design development, participantsreasons were cate-
gorized into three main groups: capacity for production,
feasibility of product and market shares, as shown in
Table 2.
The question about their reasons for selecting the han-
dicraft with the high potential for future design interven-
tion focused on participantsdecisive factor for
selection, i.e. capacity of product, feasibility of product
and market share. Numerals were applied to the Plus/
Minus/Interesting (PMI) construct to identify the most
promising handicraft. A substantially negative score was
be found for jewellery (16), while toys gained the
highest positive score (23), followed by paintings (19).
Clearly, paintings are realistic for sustainable develop-
ment, especially in terms of availability of raw materials
and sustainability. All interviewees gave jewellery the
lowest score because of its low demand due to competition
from products imported from China.
All interviewees mentioned the need for design for
new collections and to meet the requirements of buyers,
but said that there are no design consultants available.
Hence, this research identied that designers are situated
in various parts of the supply chain, and their position
varies from employees and business owners to freelancers.
In addition, it was discovered that networking is margina-
lized for the craft entrepreneur, thereby depriving crafters
from gaining access to valuable economic opportunities.
In the Western Cape province, they adopt both local and
foreign designs. It was also gathered that there are very
few stakeholder activities in the supply chain.
Identifying the handicraft with high prospects for
design intervention
Different types of handicraft were identied by intervie-
wees during this research, but only six (ceramics, wood-
craft, paintings, toys, textiles and jewellery) were
identied as having a high prospect of design and sustain-
ability. However, there were no clear directions in the lit-
erature for sustainable development. In order to establish
the fundamental reason for the design intervention, struc-
tured interviews were conducted with 32 participants to
identify the handicraft that has the highest prospect for
potential for design intervention. The participants were
categorized into three groups according to their key roles:
.Producers: those whose part is to make handicrafts,
whether they are the business owners or just the makers.
Table 2: Components for handicrafts with high prospect of an innovative design.
Selection criteria
Types of handicrafts Sources
Ceramics
Wood
craft Paintings Toys Textiles Jewellery
Literature
review
Structured
interviews
Capacity of production
Techniques and skills
needed
433664 YES YES
Availability of raw materials 653366 YES
Cost of labour 666666 YES
Feasibility of product
Daily usage 6 1243 6 YES
Functionality and
practicality
665666
High price 6 1 3 3 4 6 YES
Market share
High prices index 24623 3
Level of trade 642 3 YES YES
Sustainability 6 6 3 4 YES YES
Domestic market 3 3 6 3 6 6 YES
Tourist market 6 6 6 6 6 6 YES YES
Export market 6 3 6 6 6 3 YES YES
Competition 16665 6 YES
Policies of destination
countries
66 46 YES
Tourist market 6 6 3 3 6 6 YES YES
Total 8 12 19 23 18 16
Source:Structured interviews with 32 participants
African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development 385
.Enablers: those who are involved either directly or
indirectly with the handicrafts industry, e.g. designers,
stakeholders.
.Buyers: those who trade through buying and selling han-
dicraft for import/export or local sales.
Participants in the structured interview included 18
handicrafts producers, 9 enablers and 5 handicrafts
buyers. All of them had been involved, indirectly or
directly, in the handicrafts sector for 220 years. More
than half (i.e. 17) of the interviewees had other supportive
business activities they engaged in (e.g. farming, casual
work, teaching).
Three handicrafts were identied as having high pro-
spects for innovative design intervention and sustainabil-
ity by interviewees. These were: toys (58%), paintings
(48%) and textiles (45%). Regarding marketing and pro-
duction, respondents attested that these three handicrafts
have prospects for domestic, export and tourist markets.
Toys are most preferred for gifts, decorations and souve-
nirs. In terms of the challenges that affect handicraft
design, common issues include:
.Absence of funding to develop and expand businesses
for sustainability.
.Lack of training to produce quality products.
.Shortage and high cost of raw materials.
Only three (#1, #2 and #3) of the producers inter-
viewed mentioned that they had introduced an outstanding
innovation in their product design within the past ve
years. As stated by them:
#1. I worked as a craft producer (textile) in the Western
Cape. Within 5 years, I have added three innovations to
designs of the traditional dresses we make. This has
made us to experience higher demands and my employer
has increased my salary twice after that.
#2. I went for a training on handicraft (painting) for 3
months. After that, I have gained more exposure to how
I can create a new design and enlarge my product
brands. This has also made me to sell more than other
competitors.
#3. I adopted a new technology for my product design
(ceramics). Since then, I have been able to create three
different designs in addition to my existing designs.
With the continuous introduction of new designs, I
believe my business has future sustainability.
Discussion of ndings
Market factors for South African handicrafts
Interviews identied three main markets for Western Cape
craft products:
.Domestic market Handicrafts for domestic markets are
those manufactured, distributed and sold within South
Africa.
.Export market Export market products are products
made in South Africa and shipped to customers outside
the country.
.Tourist market The tourist market has characteristics in
by their key roles with the domestic and export markets,
and, on some occasions, it means indirect exports. Indir-
ect export involves the activities of tourists who pur-
chase handicraft in shops, hotels, airports and tourist
attraction centres.
Amongst the three markets, the participants identied
the export and tourist markets as having prominent poten-
tial for growth. However, it is shown that tourism plays a
very important function in the distribution of handicraft
products, which has inspired motivation to purchase,
thereby linking the local handicraft to the international
market. The participants made known that the number of
sales for export and tourist activities has declined in the
province, because of global economic recession, xenopho-
bic problems and the crime rate. Undoubtedly, some han-
dicraft enterprises have in recent times centred around
recovering or building on the market share of domestic
sales. However, in 2011, the South African craft sector
contributed 0.14% to the GDP (approximately
ZAR3.32bn) and employed approximately 273,495
people (DTI, 2013 in WESGRO 2013). Also, the Acceler-
ated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa
(ASGISA) of 2007 recognized the creative industries,
and particularly the handicraft sectors, as one of the ident-
ied drivers of sustainable economic opportunities and
livelihoods for local communities at the same time as
expanding business opportunities for small, medium and
micro enterprises (SMMEs) (Joffe and Newton 2007, 3).
Position of designer in the supply chain of handicrafts
The researcher categorized the types of people involved in
the handicraft sector into ve primary groups: producers,
enterprises, traders, distributors and buyers. These
groups manifest in the form of a circle in a supply chain
of handicrafts. The supply chain is divided into three
areas, i.e. supply, demand and market. This research ident-
ied that designers are located in different parts of the
supply chain, and are often found in the loops of enter-
prises and buyers, whereas designers in the local commu-
nitys circles are hardly mentioned. The place of the
designer differs from that of workers, freelancers, and
entrepreneurs.
The main actors in the supply of handicraft in the
Western Cape are families, artisans, communities and
entrepreneurs. The actors are divided into two groups: pro-
ducers and employers. The artisans, communities and
families, mostly fall under the group of producers, while
the entrepreneur is categorized as the employer. In
addition to the workforce, other essential inputs to the han-
dicraft system are:
.handicraft traditions,
.local community,
.cultural heritage,
.generational skills transferred to master-crafters, and
.distinctive raw materials.
There is a surplus of these inputs in the Western Cape
province of South Africa.
Design guidelines for sustainable development
Concerning the design guidelines for sustainable develop-
ment of the handicrafts sector, the group buyer participants
gave three recommendations: reproduction, modication
and innovation.
386 Oyekunle and Sirayi
.Reproduction The traditional way of producing handi-
crafts using the traditional designs allows continuity in
the production of the original design of traditional com-
modities, for example; South Africas bead art plays an
important role in the traditional societies of South
African people like the amaZulu, amaXhosa, baSotho,
Bavenda and amaNdebele. Today, the colourful
designs have found their direction to the roadside
stalls, shops and markets where gifted craft people sell
decorative beaded artefacts and jewellery (South Africa
Tourism 2015).
.Modication Improvement in the design of traditional
handicraft, thereby modifying it to something for differ-
ent purposes with an added value, in particular by mod-
ifying products to a new function of daily living, e.g.
transforming a batik painting to make other types of pro-
ducts, such as table cloth, cloth wears, interior decora-
tion, shoes and wall decoration for a wider range of
customers.
.Innovation Development of products that do not adhere
to the traditional and original way of making hand crafted
items, e.g. colours, shapes, designs and patterns.
Recommendation
Networking is important in facilitating access to technol-
ogy, information, raw materials and markets pertinent to
the development, expansion or sustainability for entrepre-
neurs. With increased networking, crafters traditionally
disadvantaged by a lack of nancial resources will also
have the chance to gain access to valuable economic
opportunities. However, the handicraft sector in the
Western Cape is presently declining slowly:
.With the declining worth of the crafts and the resulting
impoverishment of the crafters, the production of many
crafts has stopped;
.The handicrafts lack quality and attractive design as a
result of a lack of training;
.Intervention is necessary to preserve the exclusive
culture of South Africa;
.Sustenance of this sector can bring development to the
economic conditions of the area;
.Craft production and sales provide considerable income
for the crafters family.
Therefore, the provincial government, NGOs, and
other organizations that do not have the ability, but are
willing to, should be supported to provide the basis of
the support infrastructure, necessary for the implemen-
tation of a programme for the promotion of handicraft
sectors and continue to establish locally based projects
and training programmes. There is an urgent need to ident-
ify key issues and practices, e.g. sectoral training, as well
as developing approaches to poverty reduction. Lastly, it is
paramount for the government to encourage long-term
investment strategies in order to support handicraft prac-
titioners and to develop a plan of action because sustain-
able development of the handicraft sector requires good
governance.
Through a national framework, the government should
develop a long-term investment strategy regarding new
technology, which must be used efciently to assist
craftspeople in the production process and provide them
with advice and training on marketing and design. Tech-
nology can be used in many ways to support craft sustain-
ability and conservation. In order to address sustainability
agendas for the handicraft products, the relationship
between design and product sustainability is vital and
has been highlighted in the eld of commercial product
re-design. This is a focus for the future research. This
may be followed by asking: How will producing custo-
mers desire help to preserve traditional means of pro-
duction and sustainable product development?
Conclusion
This research has identied that the six types of Western
Cape handicrafts with a high prospect of design develop-
ment and sustainability potential are ceramics, woodcraft,
paintings, toys, textiles and jewellery. On the subject of the
reasons for selection of handicrafts with high potential for
design development, participants gave three main reasons:
capacity for production, feasibility of product, and market
shares. The three design interventions recommended for
sustainable development of the handicraft sectors by the
group buyers participants were: reproduction, modi-
cation, and innovation. The study established there are
three main markets for Western Cape handicraft products:
domestic market, export market, and tourist market.
However, the participants identied the export and
tourist markets as having higher potential for growth
than the domestic markets. All interviewees mentioned
the need for design for new collections and to meet the
requirements of the market. The three key ndings regard-
ing the challenges to development of design in the handi-
craft products in the Western Cape Province call for an
urgent need to integrate the activities of designersand
craft-makersfor effective contribution to sustainable
development of the handicraft industries. Likewise, as
handicrafts are identied as playing an important role in
sustainable development in this age, a strong connection
between a product with design and sustainability has not
been made obvious in this research. In order to address
sustainability plans for the handicraft industries effec-
tively, the relationship between design for sustainability
and localization is critical. Buchanan (2001, 3) recognizes
the need for design to be positioned in response to support
and strengthening the dignity of human beings as they act
out their lives in varied social, economic, political, and
cultural circumstances and values of a country. The craft
design interventions examined in this study demonstrate
that there exists a real potential for design to have an
effect in the Western Cape province, which is the main
place it is mostly required.
Disclosure statement
No potential conict of interest was reported by the
authors.
ORCID
Oluwayemisi Adebola Oyekunle http://orcid.org/0000-
0001-7738-3132
Mziwoxolo Sirayi http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4957-
8770
African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development 387
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388 Oyekunle and Sirayi
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The creative industries have long been ignored in conventional trade and industry policy in South Africa, despite the fact that it is perceived as an important contributor to the economy of developed countries, for example, Australia and the UK. In its elaborated concept, the creative economy in OECD countries grows annually at a rate that was more than twice of the services industries and more than four times of manufacturing. The creative industry has become an increasing driving force in the international marketplace; hence, it is crucial to measure their effect not only on the society at large but also to the sustainability of economic. The creative industries are amongst the main dynamic sectors of world trade. According to the Creative Economy Report 2010, world exports of creative goods and services are growing quickly and attained 592billionin2008withanannualgrowthrateof14percentduringthe20022008periods.IntheUK,GrossValueAddedoftheCreativeIndustrieswere£71.4billionin2012andaccountedfor5.2percentoftheUKEconomy,withagrowthof15.6percentsince2008,creating1.68millionjobsin2012,5.6percentofthetotalnumberofjobsintheUK(UnitedKingdom,2014).SouthAfricareported3.7592 billion in 2008 with an annual growth rate of 14 per cent during the 2002-2008 periods. In the UK, Gross Value Added of the Creative Industries were £71.4 billion in 2012 and accounted for 5.2 per cent of the UK Economy, with a growth of 15.6 per cent since 2008, creating 1.68 million jobs in 2012, 5.6 per cent of the total number of jobs in the UK (United Kingdom, 2014). South Africa reported 3.7% annual growth for creative goods during 2005-2012, which generates revenues from the industry of about US 9.2 billion in 2012 (Zambia. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2012). However, enough data are not available for the creative services. Services are of essentially significant for most economies in Africa. Therefore, two main sectors are briefly examined, the art and craft and the tourism sectors, because of their close linkages with the rural creative economy. The purpose of this study is to make an evaluation of the current position of creative industries in South Africa with a perspective to identify key issues to help the government to form a strategic plan of action aiming at building a strong premise for building its creative economy for employment, trade and development gains. The study provides a broad introduction to South Africa's economic, political and social environment. Throughout each of the sections of the study, solid action steps are proposed with the aim to promote and build the creative industries in South Africa. It gives an outline of macroeconomic issues and crosscutting factors that have an effect on the advancement of the creative industries. Collection of data for the creative industries continues to be very important for a clear picture of the country situation and for policy formulation. UNESCO has dependably been at the cutting edge of addressing the cultural and economic nature of creative goods and services, exploiting both the theory and its practice. The analysis in this study is the result of research based on primary and secondary material. A broad collection of economic indicators provides evidence on the possibility of the creative industries to promote comprehensive and sustainable development. On the premise of the UNCTAD global database, the country profile was presented, highlighting the trade performance of the South African creative industries, as an instrument to formulate a strategy to building creative capacity and trade opportunities in the future. Conclusions and policy actions are integrated into the analysis.
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