The word is getting out that innovation and entrepreneurship is thriving in South Africa and not necessarily where you might think. You may be as successful looking for it on the street corners townships as you will be in business incubators and innovation centres.

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Liz Cincotta reports from Sydney


In Cape Town, it takes little effort to unearth galleries loaded with Africana. There is at least one on every street in the city's colourful centre. Markets are peppered with local art dealers, while artists perch on street corners to exhibit their handsome wares. South Africa has a thriving cottage industry in hand-crafted wire-art.

Wire art in Africa originated in the creation of practical items such as pull-push toys. Children would fashion toys from discarded coathanger wire and aluminium cans. These days, the skills have been adapted to suit demand from the tourist trade.

Many artists work from their homes in townships and rural areas, creating intricate and highly detailed pieces of work that are then sold for a small sum, which often barely reflects the work that has gone into it.

In an effort to empower needy South Africans, a community development project and small business called Streetwires began in Cape Town six years ago. Its mantra, "Think global, act local", has been enormously successful and the business has flourished. Opportunities have been created for unemployed South Africans where none existed before.

The Streetwires project enables impoverished South Africans to channel their creative energies into hand-crafted wire art while providing skills training, support, raw materials and a studio environment.

Wire art may take the form of decorative woven and beaded wire items from keyrings and magnets to wire baskets, toy cars and radios. Woven creatures including geckos, chameleons, birds and safari animals are also a familiar sight. Larger masterpieces may include life-size portraits made from chicken wire.

The Streetwires community development project is also tackling South Africa's formidable unemployment rate. By creating jobs Streetwires helps generate a sense of self-worth among its employees, which contributes to community growth.

Streetwires has grown from humble beginnings - a team of four people, including two artists - into an enterprise employing more than 100 people. It is the country's first accredited Wire and Bead Art training organisation and has opened a Rural Wire Art Centre in Clanwilliam, three hours west of Cape Town.

Streetwires, 77 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town, South Africa. Go to streetwires.co.za.

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Sydney Morning Herrald
http://www.smh.com.au