As the blaring vuvuzelas die down and international soccer fans wave a final farewell, we speak to CCDI executive director Erica Elk about the legacy of the World Cup for the craft sector:


Where does the CCDI stand now, immediately after the soccer mega-event?
We are exhausted – right down to our bones! But we have achieved a lot – close to R600 000 in sales in direct sales and probably double that in sales over the last year – which is amazing considering that we were unsure about the market and how receptive fans would be to our products.

We faced several risks going into the event: We did not know how ready South Africa would be; there was uncertainty about the number of foreign visitors due; we assumed there might be some interest in craft, but definitely more spending on food, drink and cheap memorabilia. So there was considerable risk involved, but we had to think about it from a long-term point of view – the opportunity for exposure to international markets. It was about trying to maximise the value of an immediate opportunity, but also positioning ourselves long-term for growth – our strategy from the start and something we emphasised throughout our 2 year journey.

How did fans and others react to craft offerings?
There was surprise from many quarters as the products were more sophisticated and interesting than the stereotypical African goods that some expected. We certainly enthused local fans who, of course, are an important potential market too.

Partners and stakeholders such as the City of Cape Town certainly realised the value and potential of craft and we’re hoping that the inclusion of creative goods – especially the handmade – should certainly be top of mind for more event organisers in the City. And while not everyone bought – they certainly all appreciated.

What lessons did craft producers take from the event?
At least 200 craft producers participated during the actual tournament and many benefitted through immediate sales – and others through the course of our journey over the last 2 years. Others learnt the practicalities of manning a stand, pricing products, engaging with customers – for many it was their very first market experience. Those who fared best were generally flexible, able to size up customers and adjust their products or prices. For those who did not sell, it was also a learning experience, as they realised what  type of markets best suit their products and where they could improve aspects of trading. Most of the newcomers to CCDI have expressed an interest in participating in future activities - and we are already seeing new faces at the workshops.

For some time there has been emphasis on products inspired by location. How successful was this?
The best sellers at the FanFest were products that were soccer or country specific – especially South Africa -- and Cape Town themed. Apart from the soccer themed products – all the other products have a longer shelf life in the market. So I think success will be measured over time – but in the meantime I think our approach bore fruit – our biggest concern about the World Cup was managing expectations and trying to ensure that craft producers weren’t left with a whole lot of obsolete stock.

What impact did cheap Asian imports have?
Customers always choose between short-term gratification, or more expenditure and greater value and longevity. This issue was heightened during the event where people were doing a lot of spur-of-the-moment buying. So the traders of cheap – especially South African memorabilia really did a roaring trade – but as soon as Bafana was out of the game their sales slumped.

Cheap imports is a continual sector challenge, because we cannot compete here on price or volume – so we have to position ourselves differently.

How is the CCDI positioning itself post-soccer event?
We learnt many lessons from this event – some positive and some negative which will be absorbed into refining our processes. It was the first time we have tackled a project on such a large scale – we usually focus on 20-30 craft producers over three to four days at trade shows, here we managed some 200 people over 32 days. So it had a major impact on our organization.  But it galvanized producers and highlighted the potential of the sector once more – and our challenge now is to keep on looking at ways of increasing opportunities for people to access markets.

Some learnings about the products themselves?
The Western Cape has lots of fantastic products, and a very diverse range of products that literally do speak to all tastes and pockets. We have come a long way in the last ten years. But we also saw many products of poor quality and many producers making the same products. We need to create opportunities for people to correct this, and there are workshops and other interventions in place to do so. Producers need to take the lessons from the experience seriously by examining why some products did not sell. Was it the wrong event for them? Or is there a problem with the product? Can it be tweaked or updated? Customers’ tastes change with time. And, of course, the way in which products are displayed plays a huge role in selling.

What was the most positive point that we can take away from the World Cup?
We put craft and the handmade in the public eye in a way that we have not been able to do before. Our many interventions, from distributing a film about the sector and CCDI to the 100s of journalists in town, to working with the City to put sculptures on the street, to the FanFest and FanWalk, have made craft more top of mind. The more we do this, the more we create a market for products. It was a tough environment to operate in – we were reined in by the FIFA Rights Protection Programme and City regulations – but we just got on with maximising the opportunity while handling operations as smoothly as we could. We just did it.