FC Member Blog

FNA gives a World Cup 2010 financial boost to South African traditional women artists

BY Wanda Hennig | 04-30-2010 | 12:28 PM

This blog is written by a member of our blogging community and expresses that member's views alone.

South African company FNA is using their World Cup success to promote an under-supported group of Ndebele women beaders.

It’s just past 6 a.m. and the first chills of winter can be felt in the air. A group of Ndebele women huddle together in a rural area north east of Pretoria chatting as they put the final touches the intricate beaded items they’re creating.

There is a soccer ball and a vuvuzela — the the noise-making trumpet of South African football fans that has come to symbolise the sport in the country — both works of art, the vuvuzela beaded in the colors of the South African flag. There are coasters, dolls, decorative jewellery, key rings and even unique articles of clothing.

The Ndebele women are renowned for their artistic skills. Their beadwork and bead pattern-inspired mural paintings, in particular, have become an integral part of Ndebele culture. During the past few months with the World Cup looming, their beadwork has taken on a new life, inspired by the soccer.

They are among many economically challenged groups in South Africa for whom the World Cup holds the promise of more than a win on the field.

Encouraging and supporting these entrepreneurs are the execs at Football Nights Accommodation, an online hospitality service website offering probably the most comprehensive range of Wold Cup 2010 accommodation packages available for international guests travelling to South Africa as individuals, groups, and with different budget requirements.

FNA was launched last year December by Johannesburg–based father and son team, Dave and Rijn Varney. Dave Varney, a hospitality industry veteran in South Africa, saw that there was a big gap in the market for an online accommodation rental agency geared to serve both World Cup 2010 visitors across the budget spectrum and homeowners interested in letting out their entire properties, or having international guests come to stay.

Both Varney senior and junior had seen how price gauging in some sectors was keeping people away. Realizing that many, from the United States and beyond, have budget constraints, they wanted to offer attractive options. (The custom services they offer go way beyond the private residences.)

By keeping their prices lower than others in the industry, to date for World Cup 2010, FNA have secured more than 1.5-million bed nights and counting, and more than 80 group bookings, ranging from 50 to 4,000 guests, with an average stay of around 30 nights per group.

“Through our success we are fortunate to be in a position to provide opportunities for these traditional beaders who are gifted with the ability to create breathtaking works of art,” said Annatijie Jonker, director of FNA.

Showcase Abilities

“We are trying to create benefit for a community that traditionally would not have had a share in the World Cup but are now able to showcase their abilities. Through FNA, we want to give these ladies the chance to display their skills and talents to the rest of the world by promoting their services to all our international clients.”

With FNA currently servicing several major European football clubs, booking groups of between 150 and 400, and booking international guests on local luxury cruise ships, these women are being guaranteed the World Cup visitor numbers and through this, a welcomed boost to their current income.

“Beads have not only become powerful elements in African life but there is also a huge demand for these creative pieces overseas,” said Jonker. “Tourists hold an understandable fascination for beadwork that is created by the traditional beaders because each piece is unique in its shape, pattern and color.”

The Ndebele people were originally an offshoot of the Nguni people of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Ndebele women are renowned for their artistic skills. Their beadwork and bead pattern-inspired mural paintings in particular have become an integral part of Ndebele culture. They are world famous for their Ndebele beaded dolls.

Learn more about FNA online here.