In pursuit of lending a helping hand wherever possible, Woolworths helped a small Venda community achieve a dream that may have seemed impossible, and now many are reaping the rewards.

In Motsware, a tiny village tucked away in the grassy, undulating hills of Limpopo Province, is the home of a small Venda community.

The Venda nation has always been admired for its creativity and  pottery has always been the work of the women, who’ve been producing their highly coveted pots and vessels for centuries. In 1921, the Mokodeni Pottery project was set up in Motsware village as a way of preserving this art form and providing a means of survival for the community.

Today, the project, which is run by Perseviarence Muladelo Ramatsekisa, employs 25 skilled craftswomen.

The project first came to the attention of horticultural technologist Cobus Coetzee when he was involved in development work in Africa. "I came across these exquisite, hand-rendered pots and they really
captured my interest," he says.

Coincidentally, Cobus was later working for Woolworths when a supplier approached the company in 2004 with the idea of marketing the Mokodeni pots. 

Woolworths loved the product, and another attraction for them was the role that they could play in the socio-economic transformation and development of the village. "Like many rural areas in Southern Africa where primary agriculture is practised, employment opportunities are scarce in Motsware village and most of the men are forced to work away in large cities like Johannesburg," explains Cobus, who now oversees the venture for Woolworths.

Traditionally, the women are in charge of domestic duties and it’s frequently left up to them to fend for their families. "The beauty of a project like this is that the pots can be made at home, which is ideal for women who, for most of the time, raise their children single-handedly."

Woolworths was also impressed by the eco-friendly, sustainable way in which the pots are produced.

The vessels are made entirely by hand and no electricity is used at any stage of production. The clay is harvested from a local river bed and shaped by hand on a plate, then painted and left to dry.

The pit-firing technique, the earliest method of firing that we know of, is used to fire the pots. A hole is dug in the ground, the dry pots are packed into it and covered with combustible materials such as wood, dung and dry leaves.

The filled pit is then set alight and left to burn itself out, firing each pot into a one-of-a-kind work of art signed by the artist.

Woolworths decided to stock the pots as part of its plant container line. The pots sold well and The project was supporting the needs of 25 families and the women were now making enough money to send their children to high school. 

By 2009, Woolworths had become more actively involved in the project and its long-term growth.  The company has also begun to work more closely with the project in developing pots with a more contemporary look and feel, such as the gorgeous modern pots planted with colourful gerberas, which were launched in April this year.

Woolworths currently buys about 500 pots from the project every week, and a new collection of square planters containing succulents, as well as empty containers such as large bowls, outdoor pots and bird feeders, will be in store later in the year. 

"Transformation, social development and preserving the environment are all key focuses of our Good Business Journey," says Woolworths Head of Foods Julian Novak.
"We’re looking forward to continuing our involvement with these talented women and to helping them grow their business."