Local art and crafts now for sale online on new website
Shoppers will now be able to purchase beautiful Namibian arts and crafts online through the newly launched www.namibiacraftshop.com.
This initiative comes from the National Arts Council of Namibia who commissioned the Namibia Craft Centre (NCC) to oversee and manage the development of an e-commerce portal that would feature all Namibian hand-made arts and crafts.
With all the lockdown restrictions that have been implemented worldwide, this has come at an opportune time for crafters to expand their distribution beyond the traditional walk-in shops and markets.
GIZ Namibia’s Promotion of Business Advisory and Economic Transformation Services (ProBATS) provided funding to the NCC for the labour-intensive task of content gathering and management of the e-commerce site, as well as digital marketing support.
The Covid pandemic caused a global lockdown which brought tourism to a standstill. The Namibian economy in general, and SMEs in particular (like artisans, small scale arts & crafts manufacturers) have been battling to survive due to their dependence on tourism. The lack of travellers and tourists to Namibia meant that souvenirs and Namibian handmade products had lost the majority of their clients. However, www.namibiacraftshop.com makes these beautiful and desirable products available online, allowing artisans from all over Namibia not only to be represented in the physical shops of the Namibia Craft Centre but also online.
The easy to navigate, the well-designed website offers visitors and especially buyers a great and secure online buying experience. The products range from souvenirs, jewellery, leather goods, arts & collectables, upcycled crafts, clothes and many other products. Payments can be completed much like on any other shopping platform and is safe and secure with various payment options. Shipping is facilitated by the NCC’s partner, DHL.
Shareen Thude, General Manager of the NCC said; “This step forward that we have made as a sector, by creating and launching www.namibiacraftshop.com cannot be underestimated. Namibian arts & crafts made by very talented small scale businesses deserve to be available on the global internet platform.“
“We want to establish a comprehensive portal for the arts and crafts sector and continue to invite crafters across Namibia to contact the NCC so that the product line can be expanded,” she added.
Meanwhile, together with ProBATS’ expertise SMEs are being assisted in maintaining business viability, unlock new perspectives, and enable crafters to adapt during the pandemic.
The online sales platform, www.namibiacraftshop.com is a direct result and demonstrates that entrepreneurs and SME’s are able to adapt to disruptions and maintain business operations and overall business sustainability. Giving women and men an opportunity to continue to provide for their families and communities and using the internet as a sales tool to empower them in a whole new way.
