Use, Control and Value of Craft Material—cyperus Textilis: Perspectives From a Mpondo Village, South Africa

This paper argues that craftwork, using non-timber plant species, is a crucial element of the livelihoods of poor rural people in South Africa. Yet not much is known about the social dynamics of this livelihood aspect. In particular, previous research has not fully explored the interface between ecological and social dynamics of availability of plant species used in craftwork. A case study of a village in Pondoland is presented, that shows how quasi-privatized resource tenure has emerged around one key resource used for crafting—Cyperus textilis. More specifically, the case study shows how marginalized women are able to capture a resource, and create tenure institutions around it to assure realized value, and how over time this has become accepted. It is suggested that land and natural resources policies should acknowledge the dynamic nature of craftwork as a livelihood aspect, particularly if the goal is to enhance realized value for the rural poor.