Featured Embroiderers

What do cattle and goats have to do with Kaross? Traditionally not much - our designs do not feature many domestic animals and our studio is based on a citrus farm.

However, one livestock farmer has managed to become an integral part of the Kaross community in his quiet way.

Elisa Manyama (58), who was our featured embroiderer for October, is a woman who exemplifies the Afrikaans saying, “haar hande staan vir niks verkeerd nie”. This literally says that her hands cannot do wrong, and it signifies someone who is good with her hands and is industrious in her work.

This post is the first in a series on the African animals represented in Kaross' embroidered art pieces. We decided to start with the most popular animal, which is, not surprisingly, the African elephant.

Sophy's work reflects her talent and dedication as an embroiderer

Sophy Lebepe (40), was our featured embroiderer for September. She has been embroidering for Kaross for the past 3 years. In this short space of time we have seen her become an exceptional embroiderer who excels at her work.

Embroidery is a skill that the VaTsonga people are traditionally good at, but few demonstrate this better than the Mashaba family of Xihoko Village, where the art of embroidery truly runs in the family.

Fosta Mahlaule was our featured embroiderer for August. The work she does is an honest reflection of everything we try and achieve here at Kaross – she is a woman inspired, empowered and passionate about the expression of her African heritage and culture.