Namibia Craft Centre

Situated in the heart of Windhoek in the historic Old Breweries building, the Namibia Crafts Centre is the buzzing market and design hub for contemporary crafts in Namibia. You’ll be sure to find the right gift here – for yourself or friends and family back home.

The Centre has been a great launching pad for contemporary craft ideas, like the Pambili Association’s karakul wool and organza scarves and vibrant textile ranges incorporating contemporary San/Bushman artwork. Choose from studio jewellery by Ekipa Gold and Design, Inspirations or Pambili, showcasing characteristic Namibian materials like ‘watermelon’ tourmaline, petersite, natural garnet crystals and ostrich eggshell. Functional and décor accessories are plentiful – from studio ceramics to lino prints, from wire and wooden sculpture to decorated ostrich eggs. One of Namibia’s most respected hand-woven carpet outlets, Ibenstein weavers, is housed here. They produce beautiful but tough rugs from locally farmed karakul sheep’s wool, with original naïve motifs or abstract designs, and will also manufacture to customer specification.

Textiles and home ware feature abundantly. Linen wares by Ikhoba, Oâsa Taradi, Penduka and Anin provide a wonderful vehicle for displaying the fantastic embroidery skills of the women of these four community craft projects. ‘Kalahari Wild Silk’ produces organic, sustainable and completely eco-friendly African silk products, including mouth-watering scarves.

Namibians still craft and use traditional utensils daily - in planting, harvesting, cooking and customary ceremonies. Traditional crafts available at the centre range from Oshivambo drinking vessels to Ovahimba milk baskets, from Herero walking sticks to ceremonial San ‘love bows’ and perfume pouches. Beautiful baskets from Kavango and Caprivi are traditionally used for storing ground millet flour and wild fruit.