Sexy shoes, rugby and way too much work

It's the sexy shoes' fault. That, the Super 14 Rugby triumph of South Africa and much too much work.

You can be forgiven if you thought Mhambi took the freeway, never to return. It was the 6th of May the last time I posted. Ages ago. My defence?

Your honour firstly Mhambi's lovely girlfriend has just finished her first shoe and handbag collection. Mhambi gave his moral, emotional, video and web site building support.


Some of the shoe leather featuring Pienaar prints being cut.

And was it worth it. The collection - called But how do we play this? - was designed in collaboration with South African artist Peet Pienaar and is ground breaking. Not only is it does it look contemporary, sexy, sophisticated, but the collection was made from sustainable materials. And if we get the funding to mass produce it, it will be produced in South Africa.


Laura in a shoe factory in Cape Town.

South Africa is not the cheapest place to produce shoes, but its one of the cheaper places where there is a minimum wage and minimum working conditions for workers. We hope to use this as a way of marketing the shoes. These shoes are sexy AND ethical: They will increase your pulling power and then when you finally fall asleep you can do so with a clear conscience.

My second defence is the rugby! I have been spending all my spare time on Keo :) Thirdly I have been working too much. But that's not really a good excuse is it. I will post more about the rugby, why too much work is scientifically proven to be a bad thing and the sexy shoes - soon.

Perhaps you can get to see them here on Mhambi first ;) At Mhambi style and substance always go hand in hand.

Sphere: Related Content

Buying fruit locally makes for an unfair world

Transporting (yes even flying) food to Europe from Africa is not bad for environment. Mhambi was at a talk organised by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) at the RSA in London about how Western consumers could help African cotton farmers.

an old fan in my kitchen
Originally uploaded by The 10 cent designer.

In reaction to the persistent argument from organic campaigners to buy food locally their was a emphatic retort. Dr. Camilla Toulmin, Director of the International Institute for Environment and Development (iied) said that transporting fruit, vegetables and other agricultural products from African countries to the UK, including by air, contributes less than 0.1% of the current carbon footprint of the UK. This is even true of perishable products like fruit, and even more so for products like cotton, which can be shipped by sea which emits even less carbon than air cargo.

Angolan Fruit Vendor
Originally uploaded by Harleys & Thunderstorms.

Considering the fact that more than 1 million of the world's poorest farmers depend on this trade, the point was made very forcefully that by targeting this 0.1% carbon footprint, organic and environmental campaigners were completely misdirecting their activism with very unfair results for developing societies.

Buying locally produced food is often used by organic, environmental and the European subsidy lobby, to argue against the lifting of subsidies to European farmers.

Sphere: Related Content