The Sunday News
Mhlomuli Ncube
The local economy has a way of scoring big in the unnoticeable. In the corners where many never get to, success stories continue to be written almost in silence. Such is the story of the pottery industry along the Bulawayo- Victoria
Falls Road in the Gwayi area. A thriving pottery industry has become a shining example of resilience after overcoming many obstacles to remain viable.
There is an exciting pottery economy along the Victoria Falls Road, about 200 km from Bulawayo. It is not only about the beauty that passers-by see, but also a source of livelihood for many. Vases, pots, and other clay ornaments sum up this roadside story of a thriving pottery industry. Locals from the Gwayi area and beyond have become trusted heirs of an idea which came from a gifted potter known as Mrs Mayburg, who used to do pottery on a small scale.
“There was a woman who used to do pottery in her backyard. She used to sell her wares to tourists. When she left this place, we took it up and realised we could make a living. We then started making our pottery and then selling it.
We are happy because this idea has grown very big,” said Stanley Vundla who grew up in the area.
At that time, it was probably an idea which was not passed down to the locals through consensus. They used to watch from a distance as the small-scale trade was monopolised to a single person. However, when opportunity fell, things would never be the same again.
“We worked in groups and individually. There was nothing we could not do. The soil was there. We could also make the fire. We then made baking ovens that we used to process our products,” said Mariah Mudimba.
Nokuthula Ncube, who stayed about 100km away from Gwayi in Lubombi, had to relocate when word got to her. She moved to Gwayi at self-instigation to try her luck. She has not regretted that decision.
“I am able to earn a living. It is a job that has seen my children through school. It came also upon realising that I could not look for a job due to my education level. Surprisingly I have created a comfortable life for myself and my children,” she said, beaming with a smile.
With the number of foreign tourists who used to flock to the area having been affected by Covid-19, the potters had to look inward. It was the first time they experienced local buyers in such big numbers. This new frontier of business encounters ensured their trade remained viable against all odds, said Vumani Nyoni.
“We actually thought it we had met the death of our business. But far from it, we are still doing business. People still order our products. It might not be the same as in the pre-Covid era, but we are still standing.”
While not celebrated enough, this roadside industry is actually the story of small-time potters from the middle of nowhere who have turned an uncultivated craft into a thriving global industry. Their products speak for themselves with some having made their way to places where the potters will never be known, later alone visit.
The traders could have easily given up in light of the challenges they have gone through but theirs is a calling they will never abandon. They are making a difference whose impact they are not even aware of.
Through touching clay and turning it into beautiful pottery, they have also baked their own livelihoods to self-sustenance. As they earn money for their own upkeep and that of their families these potters have moulded and configured aspirations of their own dependants.
The pottery has gone on to be expected to different countries in the world. It might not have the “Made in Zimbabwe,” seal underneath, but it has certainly earned the nation that much needed foreign currency and remained a symbolic reality of the resilience of Zimbabwe’s economy. Perhaps the befitting tag line on that pottery might have to read, “As resilient as the potters of Gwayi!”– www.zbcnews.co.zw
