Meet the Mapusha Artisans

Wonder Mbetsi

Gertrude Mbetsi’s daughter Wonder came to the cooperative as an apprentice six years ago. While not by nature a weaver, she has other talents that the cooperative needs to function efficiently as a business. She takes on accounting tasks and also serves as a tour guide for visitors to the studio. In this important role, she offers a very personal welcome to visitors from all over the world, conveying good humor and great affection as well as a sense of possibility for the village and those who live there. Her steady good will is a great gift to the cooperative.

Wonder also provides the leadership for the group of three women who are creating the delightful “Birds of Africa” mobiles, a new business venture.

Wonder has two daughters, Barbara and Claudia, and is also raising Caleb, the son of her sister who died last year. She is slowly, slowly building her own house.