FAIR TRADE
Based in the small village Napier, about 180 km east of Cape Town, NOBUNTO has provided employment to mostly women of this disadvantaged community. NOBUNTO harnesses the creativity of African artisans, nurtures their talents and develops the market for their inspirational designs. The rights of the artisans and their financial empowerment are core to our business.
Our aim, in a region with a high unemployment rate, is to alleviate poverty and to develop a company that is not only economically successful but one that is socially responsible, ethical, and sustainable.
NOBUNTO is committed to improving the livelihoods of especially the disadvantaged people within our region through equitable trade practices, fair employment conditions, periodical accountability, impeccable management and development of social opportunities. We strive to create conditions that are safe, encourage personal growth and development, and respect cultural identity.
The working conditions within NOBUNTO comply with the Conditions of Employment Act which entails permanent contracts, fair salaries, paid holiday & sick leave and contributions to the Unemployment Fund. We deliver high safety standards in our workshop and a healthy and happy working atmosphere with regular working hours, 3 breaks per working day and all weekends off. An employee assistance fund is available to assist our artists in emergency situations.
FAIR TRADE is not a marketing badge for NOBUNTO, FAIR TRADE is, with all its challenges and room for improvement a way of life into a greater future. Since we formed NOBUNTO in 2010 around this mission, we soon realised that many of our guiding principles aligned perfectly with those of the FAIR TRADE movement. Incorporating the FAIR TRADE principles into the very core of our operations from day one is more a matter of coincidence, than a strategic decision.
Our latest FAIR TRADE Policy you will find at our "useful stuff" page.
The FAIR TRADE movement has 10 guiding principles
1. Create opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers
2. Be transparent and accountable
3. Conduct FAIR TRADE practices
4. Pay a fair price
5. Guard against child labour and forced labour
6. Promote gender equality and non-discrimination
7. Ensure good working conditions
8. Provide capacity building
9. Promote FAIR TRADE
10. Respect for the environment
Motivated by 1 of our European partners, we underwent a four-day EFTA FAIR TRADE assessment in 2012. The EFTA (European FAIR TRADE Association) is an association of nine FAIR TRADE importers in eight European countries. Through this assessment, many of our efforts and experiences have been positively confirmed. Over the years we were also regularly monitored by some of our customers from around the world. Starting from 2016 we will do regularly independent third-party audits based on approved monitoring proceedings. Our latest monitoring Report from 2020 is now available.