POLOKWANE – Weaving is the craft of creating and making furniture from plants and wood; a craft Peter Moswere prides himself on.
Originally from Zimababwe, now residing in Polokwane, Peter sells home-made hand crafted woven furniture to support his wife and three children.
“Wicker is light yet sturdy, making it suitable for furniture that will be moved often, such as porch and patio furniture. I use a variety of plants, from reeds, grasses and bamboo, to thin tree branches, especially willow,” he says.
Wicker on the other hand, is not a material but rather a technique used to manufacture products out of materials such as bamboo and straw.
“I use natural materials, wet them and then weave them to create wicker furniture.”
He says he learned the technique of weaving from his father in Zimbabwe when he was young and from there on started teaching himself how to improve on his craft. “My dad also used to make woven furniture for a living and now I support my family with the skills I learnt from him.”
Moswere wakes up very early to collect material from the bushes around Limpopo, where he finds wood, bamboo, and straw.
He makes chairs, gates, fences and all sorts of decorative garden furniture and hopes to grow as an entrepreneur and have his own furniture shop one day.
His favourite item of furniture is his woven swing chair that people can put in their gardens and enjoy a leisurely time swinging as the sun sets on yet another busy day.
