01 Jul 2015

In a world where many products and services are produced through modern day technologies, Malebogo Setshidi is keeping alive a long-held family tradition of pottery in Leshibitse, Kgatleng District.

The potter who suckled the clay moulding skills from her mother and started engaging in pottery at the age of three years, owns Lebo’s Pottery.

The business opened doors in 2009. In the same year, Lebo’s Pottery participated at the 2009 Women Expo. The business made quite an impact at the same exposition by winning prizes in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Setshidi has been knocking on doors for the past three years looking to secure funding towards acquiring machinery such as kilns and wheels.

She has also approached the Nyeletso Lehuma initiative for help without any success. It is not all gloom though. She says that the Gender Affairs Department has promised to help her, provided she belongs to a collective.

She however continues to grow her business through the traditional methods that have kept pottery alive in her family. She digs a hole and prepares a fire using dry cow dung or firewood to harden her designs.

Ms Setshidi not only designs clay pots, she does other works that work purely as art like the clay clock, a human statue and a fountain. The clay artworks are operated with electricity.
She is actively passing on pottery making skills to the next generation of potters by engaging with students from various schools over the craft. Ends