South African Bead Society

In the beginning of 1999, an organization was launched at the South African National Gallery, just around the corner from many of the five star Cape Town hotels and businesses.  A speaker from Ghana, Dr. Ruth Omabegho, gave the inaugural speech for this anticipated event.  The organization launched that day was the Bead Society of Southern Africa.  Much attention has been given to the group over the years as far as coverage by the local and international media, there are more artists requesting to join the group each and every day, from all over the country.  The Museum has been collecting, exhibiting and researching the indigenous art work of beads beginning in the early 1980′s and continuing now to the current times.  This was a motivating factor in the creation of the society.

The working of beads is the means by which the women of the country express themselves artistically.  They have been doing this for the past three hundred years.  This is significant to the political history and the constant transformation that the societies of South Africa have been going through, as well as for the women and their part in the history, socially culturally and artistically.  This is not the only bead society in the world.  They exist in Hungary, Great Britain, Russia and the United States.  In the States there are more than fifty such organizations.

This is the first one for the country of South Africa however, there is one that is located in Ghana, but it does not focus on the wide variety of traditions and those unique qualities that set the bead-work of South Africa apart from that done elsewhere in the world.  This society also has goals to create a networking system between the workers, and the researchers, students, archaeologists and collectors.  Activities are scheduled throughout the year, and the society publishes a paper that outlines events and provides resources for those not living within the city.  The bead-work can be found throughout the markets of Cape Town and during the festivals, and is one of the truly special characteristics of this beautiful South African city.