Before the weaving even begins, the grass must first change colour. Large bundles are gathered and prepared, then placed into pots where natural ingredients slowly draw out deep browns, warm reds and dark earthy tones. It is an old method, one that relies on plants, patience and knowledge passed down through generations. Long before modern paints or dyes were ever considered, this was how the grass was prepared for weaving. Even today, Nonhlanhla Manqele and her mother continue to follow this traditional process, allowing nature to colour the grass before it is shaped by hand.

The baskets they make are known as Izinkamba zekhwani, Ikhwani is a type of grass prized for its durability and aesthetic appeal, it grows in valleys near rivers and wet areas in KwaZulu-Natal, where it has been harvested for generations to make baskets, brooms, and grass mats – essential items in Zulu households. For generations, women have woven these baskets not only as useful household items, but also as a way to support their families, shared between mothers, daughters and daughters-in-law, ensuring that the knowledge lives on through careful hands and patient teaching.

For Nonhlanhla’s mother, the craft came through the family she married into. Like many women before her, she learned the techniques from those around her, absorbing the rhythms of the work overtime.  The process requires both strength and delicacy: preparing the grass, dyeing it with natural materials, and then slowly weaving each strand together to form the strong, beautifully patterned baskets that are recognised across the region.

The making of Izinkamba zekhwani is not rushed work. Each basket grows gradually, coil by coil, as the weaver shapes and tightens the grass into place. The patterns and colours that emerge reflect both skill and tradition. What begins as simple grass becomes something both practical and beautiful, a piece of craftsmanship that carries the story of the women who made it.

Today, Nonhlanhla and her mother continue this practice much the same way it has been done for generations. By using natural dyes and traditional weaving techniques, they keep the original methods alive. In every basket they complete, there is more than just woven grass. There is history, family knowledge, and the quiet persistence of a craft that has helped women earn a living for many years.