African Wire Decorative Lace Platter

Decorative platter with a lace-like design, made from telephone wire.

Decorative use of wire in South Africa dates back hundreds of years, and its modern equivalent takes the form of brightly colored plastic-coated copper, more commonly known as telephone wire.
Prominent South African designer Marisa Fick-Jordaan started Zenzulu out of a desire to create eco-friendly, fairly traded products, while also providing mentorship to unemployed South African women. She first began working with five weavers from a squatter camp outside Durban, and today Zenzulu supports the work of 300 weavers, of whom 80 percent are women and the sole income providers for their families.