Incredibly unique and colourful candles with a rich history.
If you are a fan of ethical, handmade goods (which we hope you are!), you may have come across our beautiful Swazi Candles before.
They are probably one of the most famous exports of the mountain kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). Coming in many shapes and sizes, these colourful candles have been crafted by talented local artisans since the launch of the Swazi Candles company.
We’ll introduce you to its rich history below and show you how these stunning candles are made.
Humble beginnings: candles in a cowshed
In 1982, two enterprising South African art graduates launched Swazi Candles in an old cowshed of a former dairy farm.
Their small workshop in the beautiful Malkerns valley soon gained a great reputation for producing exquisite and unique candles. It quickly started attracting many visitors, including travellers from abroad.
Importantly, Swazi Candles was also a founding member of the Swaziland Fair Trade Association (SWIFT). This means that its workers have been enjoying benefits such as a living wage, health care, pension funds, clothing, food and transport allowances, educational loans, funeral insurance and access to training programmes. They are also involved in the decision-making process of their company and receive a share of the profits.
The business flourished and, by early 2020, the small cowshed had grown into a large factory employing 45 permanent staff. The Swazi Candle Centre was a popular tourist attraction, with other artisans, souvenir shops, a restaurant, and a market nearby.
How Swazi Candles are made
Many people wonder how the intricate designs are made. The artisans use a traditional glasswork technique called ‘Millefiori’ to craft these fair trade candles. This technique was first used to craft glass beads in ancient Alexandria and later perfected by glass-makers in Italy. However, since the late 20th century, the technique has also been used with other materials, such as wax or polymer clay.
The outer layer of Swazi Candles is made from hard paraffin wax. (For an interesting discussion about the use of paraffin wax vs. soy wax, see this article.) As it is so tough, it doesn’t melt as easily as the softer inner part (which means that you can even reuse the bigger candles by placing a tea light into the shell). As the candle burns down, the flame illuminates the colourful exterior pattern.
So, how exactly is the hard, patterned wax layer made?
The process of making a Swazi Candle is labor-intensive and requires a high level of skill and attention to detail:
1. The liquid wax is dyed and then cooled into sheets. Factory workers then cut them into strips and layer them to form certain patterns.
2. The layered strips are then extruded and sliced into veneers.
3. The artisans warm the veneers and then expertly hand-sculpt them into the desired shape (e.g. into animal candles like elephants and turtles, or geometric shapes like the pillar candles).
After the wax has hardened, the artisans hand-finish every candle. This involves smoothing out any rough edges, adding texture or detail, and in some cases, using a hot knife to carve intricate designs into the wax.
And voila! A unique and vibrant colourful candle which is also a unique work of art.
The below video shows you how the candles are made from beginning to end:
So there you have it.
A lot of work goes into the making of these colourful candles. They support quite a few families in eSwatini and have done so for many years.
I hope you appreciate them as much we do!
Not only are they beautiful, colourful and unique, they are also one of the most ethical candles you could find!
Swazi Elephant Candles
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Sale!
Christmas Candles with Holly pattern
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