ABOUT TINTSABA
Tintsaba's rural development project enables women to earn income to supplement the family budget without leaving their families. Tintsaba builds on traditional knowledge of craft production. Frequent quality upgrading and pattern development are undertaken through encouraging mentor relationships and training programmes.

Tintsaba demonstrates a strong social and environmental commitment to its women's groups through trainings on subjects such as AIDS awareness, living positively with AIDS and permaculture. Tintsaba has also organised a tree-planting workshop.

The environmental focus of the company is carried through to the raw materials used in the Development Project. A large range of products, including the ever-popular Swazi basket, is made from sisal, which is an invasive weed. Sisal is used in Swaziland to make cattle fences. Because it is a weed, it is ideal for craft production since harvesting does not threaten the country's natural biodiversity.

In making sisal baskets, tableware and jewellery, every step is carried out by hand since machine-prepared sisal yields inferior results. Before sisal is ready for making Swazi baskets, the fibres must be stripped, cleaned, and spun by hand. The weaving of the products is also a labour intensive task; it takes approximately 15 hours to spin the fine yarn for an 18cm diameter Swazi basket and the same time again to complete the weaving.