At Mo's Crib, every handcrafted piece begins long before it reaches your home. It begins with people, with tradition and with generations of craftsmanship passed from one artisan to the next.
As one of Africa's leading exporters of handcrafted homeware, Mo's Crib proudly manufactures across South Africa, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya, working alongside talented artisans whose skills continue to preserve Africa's rich heritage while creating meaningful economic opportunities.
This month, our journey took us to Rwanda, one of our largest production hubs, where we spent time with the incredible artisans responsible for creating many of the pieces you have come to know and love.
If you've ever admired our banana bark baskets, raffia bags, raffia laundry baskets, sisal wall art or handwoven sisal baskets, you've already experienced the remarkable craftsmanship of our Rwanda artisans.
Four Communities. Four Unique Craft Traditions.
During our visit, we travelled across four different artisan communities, each specialising in a unique weaving technique and natural material.
Our first stop was with our raffia artisans, the talented women responsible for weaving our beautiful raffia placemats, handbags, laundry baskets and home accessories. Having worked together for more than four years, one of the most rewarding moments was witnessing how far this partnership has come. What once began in a rented workspace has grown into a permanent workshop that the artisans now proudly own, providing them with dedicated production space, storage and a place to continue growing their craft.
Our next visit introduced us to artisans who specialise in combining natural fibres such as banana bark and other locally sourced weaving materials. Their creativity and versatility allow them to produce some of the most distinctive collections found at Mo's Crib. Watching different fibres come together through traditional weaving techniques offered a deeper appreciation for the skill behind every finished piece.
We then spent time with our specialist banana bark artisans, whose work has become one of the signature collections within the Mo's Crib range. Their bold weaving style, sculptural forms and beautifully textured finishes have made these pieces favourites among homeowners and interior designers alike. Seeing every basket woven entirely by hand reminded us why no two pieces are ever exactly the same.
Our final visit was with the remarkable women behind our sisal wall art collections. Sitting together beneath the shade of the trees, conversations flowed as naturally as the weaving itself. We watched fibres being sorted, carefully dyed, dried under the African sun and transformed into intricate works of art that would eventually find homes across the world.
More Than Beautiful Products
One of the greatest privileges of travelling to our production communities is seeing the impact that extends far beyond the products themselves.
Over the past four years, we have witnessed businesses grow, workshops expand and livelihoods improve through long-term partnerships built on trust, consistency and shared purpose. For many of the artisans, every order represents more than production. It represents opportunity, stability and the ability to invest in their families and communities.
While we are proud of the beautiful collections these artisans create, we are equally proud of the relationships that continue to grow alongside them.
Celebrating African Craftsmanship
At Mo's Crib, we believe the future of design lies in celebrating the incredible talent found across the African continent. Every basket, every bag and every woven artwork carries with it a story of patience, skill and generations of knowledge that deserve to be preserved and shared with the world.
Travelling to Rwanda reminded us that behind every handcrafted piece is a person, a family and a community whose dedication continues to inspire everything we do.
We hope you enjoyed joining us behind the scenes as we visited our Rwanda artisans and discovered how some of your favourite Mo's Crib collections are brought to life. We look forward to sharing more of these journeys with you as we continue celebrating African craftsmanship across the continent.
Explore More
Discover our Banana Bark Collection, Raffia Collection, Sisal Wall Art and Basket Collections, or learn more about the artisans behind every handcrafted Mo's Crib creation.
