“The Art of Changing Lives”
About Us
The talented Zizamele staff have been working in the business since 2007! They are each encouraged to work on their own speciality.
Sisanda Mbana is undoubtedly the queen of the hive. She won her first award at the Ceramics SA Regionals Exhibition in 2008. The SANG Iziko Gallery then bought it for their collection. She has since won numerous awards and accolades. Her bowl has been depicted on a SA Postal Service stamp series along with other local ceramicists.
Joyce Mfene has a 12lady White on White bowl in the SANG as well.
In 2010, we made a 12-Player Soccer Bowl to commemorate the first World Cup to be held on African soil. Songezo Mrwebi, our male potter and a keen soccer player gave valuable input into its design. This is also in the Iziko Collection. In fact an image of it was used that year on the National Gallery Catalogue front page. Songezo is currently enjoying teaching wheel throwing in our ceramic workshops!
Vuyelwa Katshwa makes all our stunning vases. Nkuli Sam is a true artist with incredible attention to detail. She builds and paints the Women of Africa series as well as the Standing Angels.
If you want to know who painted your item just flip it over as we sign and stamp all our work. We know it will be collectible in the not too distant future.
About Zizamele Ceramics
Toni Burton, whose background is in Higher Education, started Zizamele Ceramics in 2008.
After studying Fine Art (with Ceramics as a major) at Michaelis School of Fine Art at UCT, she taught high school art and ran a home teaching studio for children and adults for many years. During this time she raised her 3 daughters.
She then became a Ceramics lecturer at College of Cape Town and progressed to False Bay College where she ran learnerships in Craft Production. The final cohort of students were granted an extra 6 months Learn & Earn opportunity and together some of the students and her started Zizamele Ceramics.
Toni’s family were all entrepreneurs who owned their own businesses, so she had an instinctive understanding of how to guide the business to success. Numerous awards along the way have made the signature range of Ubuntu Bowls and related products firm favourites at home and abroad.
While Product Development is her first love, she declares herself an educator at heart and is thrilled to be teaching ceramics again from the Zizamele studio!
Zizamele Ceramics’ first export order was in 2008 for 1500 items ordered by Anthropologie in USA. The same year we were named a Craft Icon by the local Craft&Design Institute. Sisanda Mbana received an award at the National Ceramics exhibition and Toni travelled with the products to market them in Korea and India at trade fairs.
Fast forward to 2020 and with ceramic skills that have blossomed, we have a large product line and a retail outlet at the V&A Waterfront – Africa’s biggest tourist destination. Find us at The Watershed, a space dedicated to the handmade, the artisanal and the gorgeous!
If you can’t visit us, you can view and order our products on our online shop where you will often find discounts and specials. You can book to attend a Ceramics Workshop, where you can join our ceramic superstars who will help you make your own fabulous ceramic creations.
Hand-made
Sustainable packaging
Job creation
Fair-trade principles
