The Dakawa Arts and Crafts Centre

The Dakawa Arts and Crafts Centre, a skills training project based in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape is involved in community outreach and youth development. Initially known as the Dakawa Development Centre, it began as a project of African National Congress (ANC) exiles during the time of Apartheid. It was located at The Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College (SOMAFCO) in Dakawa, Tanzania from 1982. The Swedish government funded the project through an organisation called the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA). The project moved to South Africa in 1992, with Johannesburg and Cape Town organisations putting in bids to have it move to their respective cities. The decision was made for the Centre to move  to the Eastern Cape as it was the most economically unstable province, and the organisation would help create employment as well as other activities to improve locals quality of life. It  developed into a non-profit trust, working to empower historically marginalized people in the Eastern Cape.

The Centre has a large printmaking studio which specializes in linocut prints, a textile printing workshop, a weaving workshop, cotton and mohair goods, as well as a beading group and seamstresses. The Centre plays a major role in the development of arts and crafts within Grahamstown and the Eastern Cape Province.  Dakawa has kept its links with SOMAFCO in Tanzania, and plays an important role in the development of the Arts and Culture industry, as well as skills development for entrepreneurs. Dakawa has strong ties with various sectors of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture as well as with the Small Medium Micro Enterprises (SMME) development enterprises. 

The shop, galleries and halls of the Dakawa centre are used for a variety of activities and as of 2017, there are 56 self-employed entrepreneurs at Dakawa who are developing their creative and business skills through a process of self-empowerment and support from the facility.