“Amidst the tolling mountains that surround Malkers a clothes line outside a farmstead near the Milwane Nature Reserve sways in the wind; different shapes and sizes of brightly patterned fabric hang from it. This is the home of Baobab Batik; a design studio that has produced handmade batik for the past 21 years.”

The founder was Els Hooft from the Netherlands who came to Africa as a mother and baby nutritionist.

Batik is not a traditional Swazi craft so the skills acquired were all net new to the people at Baobab Batik. The silhouette cushion covers with animals in the foreground quickly became a signature product.

Els has recently passed the reins of the business over to Norwegian designer Signhild Thorne and at the same time it became a social enterprise. New designs in clothing, scarves, sarongs, home textiles, and the Lituli kids range of leggings and tops has expanded the offering so that all family members can be equally bright!