11 October 2004

By Mogale City Reporter

THE long fluted glasses on the table capture the light, demanding attention from visitors to the Shades of Ngwenya shop.

One of Mogale City's most well-known tourist attractions, the Ngwenya Glass Village in Muldersdrift produces glassware for sale to the local and international markets.

The shop attracts more than 300 visitors a week, and more than 200 of those are international visitors, says shop manager Sally Viljoen. "The numbers pick up towards month-end," she says.

And the family-owned business is also environmentally friendly - only recycled glass material is used to make the wide range of exquisite glassware on offer.

"Most of the glass material we use in our recycling process comes from the glass bottles that we buy from local unemployed people," Viljoen says.

Many school groups visit the factory during the week to see the recycling process in operation.

The shop and the factory are located at the Ngwenya Glass Village on Sunridge Farm.

The shop was established 11 years ago by a Swaziland company called Ngwenya Glass. Back then it was situated in Germiston and specialised in manufacturing glass lampshades.

Ovp>er time the popularity of the lampshades meant the name changed to Shades Of Ngwenya.

However, the shop struggled financially and finally moved to Sunridge Farm. "Back in Germiston, the shop was poorly positioned and we could not properly reach our target market," says Viljoen.

Glassblower Albimo Gustavo Schuman, who has worked for Shades of Ngwenya since 1993, recalls the move: "Coming to Sunridge Farm was the best option, because here we have a bigger factory which minimises the chances of accidents."

The Ngwenya Glass Village employs 55 staff members, including four local glassblowers who are receiving in-house training.

In contrast to the serene atmosphere in the shop, the factory is hot and steamy from the fires melting the glass.

Ten highly skilled glassblowers, dressed in red overalls and wearing vital protective glasses, are busy shaping the melting glass into exquisite shapes. They draw out the threads of glass, working with care and precision.

The factory produces interestingly shaped drinking glasses, made from recycled bottles, beautiful and unusual vases and various glass trinkets.

All these can be viewed in the shop, carefully displayed on tables or across the ceramic floor.

Acknowledging that Shades of Ngwenya is part of a bigger tourist attraction - The Crocodile Ramble - the walls have been decorated with large green humorous crocodile paintings.

The Crocodile Ramble, in and around Mogale City and Hartbeespoort, is made up of various arts and crafts studios, lodges, museums and hotels and tea gardens where visitors can take some time out to relax and watch the crafters at work.

"On the last day of each month we have demonstrations by our glassblowers," says Viljoen, describing how the glass is blown into beautiful and functional shapes.

For more information about the Shades Of Ngwenya call (011) 957-3180 or visit www.shadesofngwenya.co.za.