Co-creating sustainable livelihoods through the art of embroidery
Submitted by
University of Pretoria
Summary of the Impact:
South Africa faces persistent unemployment and labour underutilisation, disproportionately affecting women and young people. During the first quarter of 2026, the official unemployment rate was 32.7%, representing approximately 8.1 million unemployed individuals.1 The labour-intensive clothing and textile sector offers opportunities for entrepreneurship, local production and livelihood creation, but has faced sustained pressure from global competition and low-cost imports.
Against this background, the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP) and Mapula Embroideries established a curriculum-based community engagement partnership in 2019 to broaden the economic opportunities associated with traditional South African embroidery. Mapula Embroideries has operated for more than three decades and supports approximately 150 women embroiderers in the Winterveld and Hammanskraal communities, north-west of Pretoria.