Umtha's Blog

It is Finally Here – 2010 Kick Off

2010-06-11T12:07:00.000+02:00

They say music is the universal language but one only has to look around to see that sport truly transcends all cultures, gender, languages, ages and back grounds. The Soccer World Cup has brought together people from different parts of the world, united in one pursuit...victory! Taking that ‘cup’ home, and in South Africa’s case, making sure it stays home!

One thing we can thank FIFA for as businesses, other than the anticipated increase in revenue in certain industries and the exposure this tournament brings; is the intangible benefits of increased staff morale. Anticipation is in the air, staff are buoyant and excited and who can begrudge them a little fun in the work place.

Among the soccer celebrations, Umtha is also celebrating the birthdays of two of our Umtha team members. Mother and son, born on the same day of the year; Jostina Dubase and Luxolo Dubase. Happy Birthday Jostina and Luxolo, you are both appreciated and valued at Umtha. We wish you many more!

Soccer Fevah!

2010-06-08T09:30:00.000+02:00

South Africa has been gripped by soccer fevah!... and Umtha is no exception, we can feel it! At Umtha we are also gearing up for the soccer world cup and have taken to wearing the Bafana Bafana soccer jerseys, every Friday in support.

Some of the Umtha staff in their Bafana Bafana t-shirts.

Friday the 11th of July Umtha will be closing at 1pm to give our staff time off to also enjoy the 2010 World Cup Opening. Laduuuuuma!!!

Fair Trade Day 2010

2010-05-25T11:44:00.000+02:00

As Fair Trade Day comes round again we are reminded of what Fair Trade means and what it’s all about. One would not be mistaken in thinking that Fair Trade is just about encouraging ethical and fair trade practises. This is indeed a big part of it, but it is just a part of it.
As Umtha participated in the Fair Trade Day, on the 8th of May at the Tokai Farmers Market, it was just one of the many companies worldwide, standing for and promoting the standards of Fair Trade.

World Fair Trade Day at the Tokai Market

Promoting Fair Trade is not just about encouraging ethical business, it means embracing and upholding a certain standard of business such that it becomes the fabric of who you are as a company and as a people. Such standards include;
· Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers.

Artisan giving a practical demo

· Transparency and accountability.
· Capacity building.
· Promoting Fair Trade.
· Payment of a fair price.
· Better environmental practises.
· Long term trade relations based on solidarity, trust and mutual respect.

Representatives from the various arms of the Fair Trade Organisation.

· Gender equity
· Safe and healthy working conditions
· Respect and adherence of child labour laws.

Basically Fair Trade is about putting the 'heart' back into business!

With these standards ingrained in our businesses, Umtha and few other companies such as African Home, Bean There/Back to Africa, Waxit, and Township Patterns celebrated Fair Trade day together, to remind each other why we do this and hopefully raise awareness and encourage other companies to do the same.

Umtha Jewellery & Township Patterns

We had the exhibit at the Tokai farmers market, a lovely location that reflects some of the beauty of the Western Cape. It was a beautiful day, as the rain let up and the sun broke through the clouds to make it the perfect day for an outdoor market.

What will the year 2010 hold for Umtha?

2010-01-26T11:37:00.000+02:00

That is indeed the question on all our minds. What will this year hold for my business, my family, for myself? We begin the year with a sigh of relief that we made it through the precarious economic climate of 2009 and now we look forward with anticipation to whats ahead.

At Umtha it is business as usual, we wish you our valued customers and partners a happy and successful new year! We look forward to working together in 2010 and into the future.

On the local arena, we prepare for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. As South Africans we are proud to be hosting this historic event. So...like the rest of the world, we at Umtha wait to see how 2010 will unfold. We however do not wait idly but 'we put our hands to the plough', knowing that good fortune will smile on those who keep their hands busy.

Umtha Closed: 11th December 2009 - 11th January 2010

2009-12-17T13:16:00.000+02:00

Umtha will be closed for the festive season from the 11th of December 2009 till the 11th of January 2010. Please note any orders received during this period will only be attended to when we re-open in January. Thank you for all your continued support, we wish you a fun-filled festive season.

End Of Year At Umtha

2009-12-14T13:37:00.000+02:00

Umtha comes to the end of 2009, jubilant and excited for what’s ahead. This year Umtha marked the end of year with a staff party at our business premises.It was a relaxed and fun time were we all let out hair down, danced , ate plenty of delicious treats and played some fun games.

2009 was marked with a few significant events. One of them was the hiring of two new staff members, Cynthia Mangaba as HR Manager/ PA to MD and Nazlie Ramjam as Head Stock Controller, they have been a wonderful addition to the Umtha Team.

2009 also saw Umtha receive one of its biggest orders to date. This proved to be a huge learning curve for the company and has hopefully opened doors for more of the same in 2010. The order led to a huge surge in our staff, with a temporary staff growing to 30 employees over a three month period. Thus further strengthening our vision and passion of job creation for the underprivileged and refugees in our community.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your support, big and small throughout the year. We trust that we shall continue to partner together and support each other in our various endeavours into the future. Umtha would also like to wish you a fun-filled, joyful and restful festive season.

Global FT Sales Grow

2009-07-21T15:39:00.000+02:00

As you may well know, Umtha is a member of COFTA, Coperation for Fair Trade in Africa. As such the following statistics from Fair trade Foundation in the UK may be of interest to you, our valued stake holders.

July 13, 2009- Jeff
Despite the global recession, worldwide sales of Fair Trade Certified products grew by an impressive 22% in 2008 as consumers spent an estimated $4 billion on Fair Trade products globally. In the U.S., sales grew 10% to $1.06 billion, and in Canada, sales grew 67% to $180 million. The UK, after growth of 43%, has surpassed the U.S. for most FT sales by country, at $1.23 billion.
The main product areas of Fairtrade growth were in the following product categories: 1. Global sales have doubled for Fair Trade tea (112%) and for Fair Trade cotton products (94%); 2. As the products with the highest sales volumes, Fairtrade coffee sales increased 14% to 66,000 metric tons (MT) and the market for Fair Trade bananas grew by 28% to 300,000 MT.
Fair Trade sales grew by at least 50% in seven countries, including Australia and New Zealand (72%), Canada (67%), Finland (57%), Germany (50%), Norway (73%), and Sweden (75%). The largest markets for Fair Trade products continued to experience strong growth, as sales of Fair Trade certified products increased by 43% in the United Kingdom and 10% in the United States. Fair Trade products also gained popularity in a number of new markets, including in Eastern Europe, Eastern Asia, and South Africa.
As of the end of 2008, there were 746 Fair Trade Certified producer organizations representing over one million and a half individual farmers and workers. There are at least another 70,000 members of affiliated organizations that belong to Fair Trade certified producer groups that also benefit from Fair Trade, which include women’s groups and other groups not directly involved in the production of Fair Trade products, like cattle herders.
Source: Fairtrade Foundation, UK, Press Release

World Fair Trade Day

2009-06-09T14:58:00.000+02:00

Umtha was one of the proud participants of the World Fair Trade day 2009. Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach to empowering developing country producers and promoting sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of a wide variety of goods.

This years theme was the BIG BANG!! It started with a lone drummer in the Chatham Islands at first light and ended at last light in Samoa. It was exciting for us to be part of this global movement that stretched across 5 continents and over 70 countries.

South Africa celebrated the World fair Trade Day by hosting two events in Cape Town. On Friday the 8th of May, Fair Trade South Africa held a Networking Cocktail at the Vineyard Hotel where Sheryl Ozinsky, former CEO of Cape Town Tourism and Cape Town Routes Unlimited was the invited speaker for the evening. This event was well attended and proved to be a huge success.

The Vineyard hotel served delicious food (from Fair Trade producers in keeping with the vision of the evening), to the delight of all who attended, and Lara Cawood assisted to create a warm jazzy ambiance with her seemingly effortless skill on the electric piano. All in all it was an enjoyable evening.

The second event was on Saturday the 9th of May. At this event South African Fair Trade organisations displayed their products in the V & A Waterfront. The exhibit was aimed at raising public awareness and promoting Fair Trade among consumers.

This was a fun filled day of activities such lucky draws, comedian skits and various displays. Umtha played its part and had a table with some of our jewellery on display and a few of our employees offering a helping hand and a ready smile.

Shopping Day

2009-01-15T15:27:00.001+02:00

On the 1st and second of October, Umtha opened its doors to the public. Umtha is a wholesale business, but once a year, friends and family are invited to view Umtha’s ethically produced, innovative ranges as well as meet our wonderful producers. Let us know if you’d like to be added to the mailing list for 2009.

Employee of the month

2009-01-15T15:06:00.003+02:00

This month, the Umtha awards went to mother and son. Every month Umtha gives an ‘employee of the month’ award. This award is based on set criteria and is a challenge to earn. Luxolo Dubase oversees Umtha’s packaging and packing department. His mother Jostina, is Umtha’s longest standing employee and has recently been promoted to production supervisor. This middle management position provides Jostina with a great opportunity to hone and develop her skills. She was awarded Umtha’s ‘special award’ this month for showing great aptitude in her new position.

Umtha celebrates a successful 2008

2009-01-14T22:44:00.006+02:00

Umtha employees enjoyed a lively staff lunch at the Waterfront’s Santa Ana Spur. It was a great opportunity to celebrate another successful year.