Bree Street
Monkeybiz
“Beaded one-of-a-kind pieces made in Cape Town’s townships in South Africa is art that really makes a difference,” is how Monkeybiz, a non-profit income-generating bead project describes the venture. This heart-centered business began as a shared vision among the three artists to regenerate the indigenous art of bead work, while creating employment opportunity for women in the most under-resourced areas of the Western Cape. Countless bead artists in South Africa struggle to make ends meet and labour intensively for a pittance. In Cape Town, for many such such artists, Monkeybiz has changed all that. They have succeeded in establishing a vibrant community of more than 450 bead artists, many of whom are the sole breadwinners within their households.