HANDS that rock the Cradle: bringing locally inspired pieces to Maropeng

Prepare to make a whole new discovery when you go to the Cradle of Humankind and visit the HANDS that rock the Cradle shop at Maropeng. The arts and crafts shop officially opened its doors for business on 1 November 2019.

“We market and sell handmade products to local and international guests looking for timeless memorabilia to take home after exploring the remarkable finds exhibited at Maropeng,” says the shop’s co-founder, Smart Motshegwa.

The concept for the shop was conceived by a group of entrepreneurs in a cooperative that included Motshegwa and his business partner, Obakeng Mohloiwa. They all came from the communities surrounding the World Heritage Site to start a business that would empower local crafters by making their products available to a customer base that they couldn’t easily access from where they reside.

“While Maropeng gives people information about humanity’s history through its exhibitions, we wanted to give them the parting gifts that they would appreciate alongside the experience,” comments Motshegwa on the link between their business and Maropeng.

The HANDS that rock the Cradle shop specialises in an assortment of African-inspired beadwork, embroidery, ceramics, sculptures, wirework, woodwork and various keepsakes that have caught the attention of pleasantly astonished guests who want to leave the site with an authentic piece of African heritage.

Make sure that you visit this Maropeng shop to find gifts that you can pass on, along with the wealth of knowledge that you’ve acquired from a place that’s rich with evidence of the origins of humankind.