KwaZulu-Natal Weavers

The Art of Telephone Wire

From the rural heart of South Africa to the global stage in Santa Fe, the women of the KwaZulu-Natal Weavers continue a story that has evolved for generations. Their medium—colorful telephone wire—tells a tale of resourcefulness echoing the history of Zulu artisans who first adopted wire weaving in the 1960s to respond to the abundance of modern materials.

Now included in the iNgqikithi yokuPhica / Weaving Meanings collection at the Museum of International Folk Art, this work carries special significance for Santa Fe and the International Folk Art Market. The exhibit highlights artists, including  Ntombifuthi (Magwaza) Sibiya, whose video demonstrates the intricate process of hard-wire weaving in her South African home. The connection deepens with IFAM’s history: telephone wire baskets from South Africa were a centerpiece of the market’s early years and remain among our most celebrated works.

The technique, passed from artist to artist, suggests the time-honored practice of basket weaving in South Africa and contemporary creativity using materials available after the installation of telephone wire cables in urban cities. Each basket begins with tightly looped wire, coiled meticulously over a galvanized base, its patterns inspired by geometric beadwork, natural motifs, and personal storytelling. Red, blue, and yellow colors are instinctive and deliberate, chosen from available wires to give life to their designs. 

For the weavers, each basket connects the rural mountains of KwaZulu-Natal with collectors and museums worldwide, merging their new traditions with new opportunities.