OUR STORY

The Wonki Journey

Wonki Ware is an exclusive, artisanal range of dinner and tableware hand crafted in South Africa.  Each piece is carefully created out of clay dug from the Eastern Cape region, then dried in the sun for five days before being moulded, shaped, painted and fire glazed.  Every unique item passes through fourteen pairs of hands on its journey to your table!

This iconic brand had a humble beginning in Di Marshall's home studio in George, a small town on the Garden Route in South Africa.  She introduced her unique techniques to two town locals, themselves adding their own personal touch, resulting in a power team of three which went on to develop a global business recognized for its design and patterning.  The products are handmade so no two are alike and, indeed, the beauty of the pottery lies in its 'wonkiness'.

​

Twenty years on and Wonki Ware now employs 80 trained and skilled people from disadvantaged backgrounds.  All are valuable, passionate, loyal contributing members in their communities.  None of this would have been possible without Di Marshall's continued guidance and dedication to Wonki Ware's ethos of “empowerment, upliftment and skills sharing”.

​

Di feels privileged to be working with a group of potters ‘whose excitement and enthusiasm are boundless’. “The nature of clay alters people on a cellular level,” she says. “It absorbs tension and distracts people from their problems, and for many of our staff, pottery has become a form of therapy”. “When we enter the factory in the morning, there is a huge amount of energy, laughter, and noise. Then a certain rhythm sets in. Creativity takes hold, and there is a palpable sense of flow, with 100 people working in an almost meditative state. It’s such a pleasure to be a part of it.” DI MARSHALL