What we learned about the craftsmanship industry in Ghana

An important part of Africana’s Skincare business ethos is to travel and spend a considerable amount of time in the country from which a product originates. This is very important to us because we don’t just want to come to “Africa”, take what we need, leave and bring it to you. 

We have been based in Ghana since 2018. This has allowed us to really immerse in the local culture, mingle with the local people and learn from them directly. By doing this, we can bring the authenticity of the country to you, through skincare. 

Part of how we work with the local artisans, is by spending time with them. We don’t just place and order and wait for it to finish. We sit down with them and have conversations, as you and your friends may have. So the other day, we had one of these conversations with Mohammed, which ended up being very fruitful as it opened our eyes into a reality that is being currently faced by many local artisans but it not really talked about.

The artisanal sector in Ghana in the 90s

A lot of the richness of the Ghanaian culture is reflected in its artisanal work; natural materials that are converted into beautiful objects using ancestral techniques.

Craftsmanship was a subject that was taught in school back in the days in Ghana, something we learned thanks to Ike and Mohamed, who told us that they learned their craft in school. It was believed that by teaching the youths skills such as sewing, weaving, electrical repair, etc, it would help them by opening more professional doors. 

During the 90s, the business was very lucrative, specially basket weaving. Different countries across West Africa, would purchase baskets from Ghana to use them to shop for their goods. 

 

During the early 2000s, hamper baskets also became popular, specially during festive seasons such as Christmas. 

The current situation of artisanal work in Ghana

The artisanal sector in Ghana is starting to become a very tough sector to work in. It is also associated to “poverty” – being an artisan in Ghana means you will probably not be able to achieve a high economical status. 

This image has been created due to many reasons, some of which we have been discussing with one of our local craftsmen Mohammed: 

1. Emergence of advanced technology and foreign influences 
2. Financial reasons – no fair wages, no motivation to work
3. No set standards – finishing of the goods is poor
4. No collaboration

The emergence of advanced technology and increase in foreign influences

With the introduction of advanced technology, plastic manufacturing companies have taken over the basketry business. People now go to the market with polythene bags and plastics baskets instead of the previous cane baskets. 

The change of lifestyle into a more fast paced lifestyle were people want things quick and “now” has also contributed to the fact that people prefer to just go to “Melcom” (a chain supermarket in Ghana which is relatively cheaper), grab what they need and continue with their routines, as opposed to having to find an artisan, try and transmit what they want and then have to wait for weeks for it to be ready. 

The foreign influences have specially impacted the youth. They are no longer interested in the craftsmanship skills and are not coming up to be trained. This is very worrying to the older generation of craftsmen because they cannot hand down the legacy anymore to the strong and energetic youth. 

On the other hand, many have stopped patronising the use of traditional products. A modern Ghanaian would purchase a blender over the traditional grinding pot ‘Asanka’, a fridge over an earthenware pot cooler or a plastic bag over the traditional, hand woven basket. 

On the other hand, many have stopped patronising the use of traditional products. A modern Ghanaian would purchase a blender over the traditional grinding pot ‘Asanka’, a fridge over an earthenware pot cooler or a plastic bag over the traditional, hand woven basket. 

Financial reasons – no fair wages, no motivation to work

“How will I feed my family?”. This is a major worry to many local artisans. 

In the olden days, craftwork was a major source of income. It was a way of life. Nowadays, because there is no system in place, there are no fair wages and in some cases, it is like a tag of war to survive. 

This leads onto another problem, which is lack of motivation. They are cash-strapped which means they would only think about working faster to get money faster, and this leads us onto the next issue. 

Craftmanship is one of Africana Skincare’s values. We have decided to collaborate with local craftsmen in the production of our packaging, not just to help keep the culture alive, but also to be able to help contribute to the local economy, in this case to the craftsmanship economy. We do not mention a price, but rather ask them what price they would charge us to complete the job we require. By applying this method we make sure that we pay them a fair price that they are happy and motivated to work with. 

 

No set standards – finishing of the goods is poor

Mohammed was telling us that a major issue they face now in his sector is a poor finishing of the goods. Why is there a poor finishing? This is due to two main reasons:

• There are no work standards set within the artisanal work
• Because wages are low and there is no motivation, the work is rushed and so the finishing of the product is poor. 

This is also a major contributor to the fact that there is no direct or secure market for these goods.  The job is sporadic and limits artisans into producing variety of products and purchasing in bulk.