Let the mountain resound with the sound of Kelp Vuvuzela's

What is the strange, snake-like object being blown on the front cover of the second print edition of the Cape Town Green Map you may be wondering?

The vuvuzela is an iconic part of South African soccer and over recent days the elephant-like trumpet has been resounding around Cape Town as we gear up for the World Cup. The common one that many people have, is the generic plastic one, yet if you are trying to be eco friendly you can buy an artistic vuvuzela made out of an abundant natural resource - kelp.

These vuvuzela's with their dynamic designs are sure to be snapped up by the tourists, as an unusual souvenir; but hold just as much appeal for the locals. Not only are they far more interesting than the generic plastic variety but they also create employment for the local artists. Six men have been recruited to craft these ingenious vuvuzelas.

The vuvuzelas were the brainchild of graphic designer, Adam Carnegie who saw the natural shapes that kelp formed when it dries on the beach, and thought that they would be ideal for making a vuvuzela like horn. He went on to  create a bunch for his sons school craft fair where they were a resounding success.

Carnegie has gone on to employ six men who collect and dry the kelp, before painting them in designs that that feature the different colours of the teams participating in the world cup as well as many other fascinating designs that the kelp lends itself to. The project is based at the Kommetjie Environmental Action Group at Imhoff's Farm in Kommetjie.

If you would like to bag your kelp vuvuzela now, contact the CCDI's Handmade [Cape] Wholesale showroom, 75 Harrington Street, or the shop at The Bead Merchants in Long Street. Contact Rosemary Reddy on 083 2555 109 or Thandeka Tyatyantsi on 084 866 3600.