FACTBOX
Artisan retention in South Africa is important because the country is facing a critical shortage of artisans .
It is crucial to have sufficient artisans in South Africa to enable infrastructure development , economic growth and wealth creation .
These days the word “ artisan ” has come to denote and mean “ quality ”. If it is made or crafted by an artisan – the product itself is of a higher quality or the spirit of handmade craftsmanship . Today the food industry , in particular , has adopted the words craft and artisan as synonyms for quality and the oldschool traditions of craftsmanship . For instance , we have :
Artisan retention in South Africa is important because the country is facing a critical shortage of artisans .
Artisan chocolate ,
12 500 artisans are needed in South Africa every year , but only 3000 artisans pass the trade tests per year .
Craft Beer , and
The average age of an artisan is 54 years ; this means that 70 % of the artisans who are currently employed will exit the labour force within the next five to six years
The global artisan economy is a US $ 34 billion per year industry .
Organisations will have to implement strategies to keep artisans in their service .
Entire countries have built their reputations on the skills of their artisans .
There will always be jobs for artisans as they are the bedrock of the economy , and they will always be needed – even as many jobs in the corporate world will simply disappear in the very near future , many occupations will no longer exist due to new technology and disruption
Germany has built its entire concept of “ German Engineering ” by combing craftsmanship with quality engineering to achieve widely acclaimed highperformance products . Today this reputation permeates every product made in Germany .
The same can be said of Italian craftsmanship which melds tradition and technology that ensure that the “ Made in Italy ” label is always revered .
SEIFSA AT 75 - SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE MAGAZINE 67