Our Story

Things From Africa was born from a deep love for African art, craftsmanship, and storytelling.

Before becoming the founder of Things From Africa, I was a living statue artist at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. Day after day, I stood in the same space where the world came to experience Africa — watching visitors pause, connect, ask questions, and feel something real.

The V&A Waterfront became more than a place where I worked. It became a place where I learned about people. I met visitors from different countries and cultures, and I began to understand what drew them to African creativity. They were not simply looking for something to take home — they wanted something meaningful, something with a connection to the people and place it came from.

That experience taught me one powerful lesson:
people don’t just buy products — they connect with stories.

As an African artisan at heart, I saw how much visitors valued authenticity, handmade work, and cultural meaning. Yet I also saw how many incredibly skilled African artisans remained unseen, underpaid, and disconnected from global markets.

Things From Africa was created to change that.

What began as an appreciation for African craftsmanship grew into a bigger vision: to create a bridge between talented artisans and people around the world who value genuine handmade African work.

Today, we work with skilled artisans from across Southern Africa, using techniques passed down through generations to create handcrafted African chess sets and woodcraft. Every piece is made slowly, carefully, and with pride — not in factories, but by human hands.

That human touch means no two pieces are exactly the same. The natural character of the wood, the marks of the tools and the individual hand of the artisan all become part of the finished piece. These small differences are not imperfections — they are part of what makes handmade craftsmanship special.

Our chess sets are more than games.
They are stories carved in wood — stories of heritage, wildlife, resilience, and identity.

From African wildlife represented in our chess pieces to the woodcraft traditions behind each board, our products are designed to carry a small piece of Africa with them wherever they go. A chess set bought in Cape Town may eventually sit in a home thousands of kilometres away, but the hands, skills and story behind it remain African.

When you purchase from Things From Africa, you are not just buying a chessboard.
You are supporting honest livelihoods, preserving traditional skills, and helping African craftsmanship reach homes around the world.

And that is what Things From Africa ultimately represents: connecting people through craftsmanship — from the hands of an African artisan to someone who will value that piece for years to come.

From the V&A Waterfront to your home —
every piece carries a story.