Chapter 3: Kazuri Beads – A Case Study on Motivating Talent and Knowledge Transfer in an Artisan Business

Artisan businesses in Africa have distinct ways of being that make them peculiar to manage when compared to non-artisanal enterprises. Artisan businesses are often developed on the basis of tacit knowledge that is passed on from one generation to the next through an apprenticeship model. Furthermore, these businesses are often driven by an intersection of necessity motives (the need for the artisan to make a living) and opportunity (the honing of a valued handicraft that can be monetized). The challenge for artisanal businesses of this nature is therefore broadly twofold: firstly, the sustainability of the enterprise due to knowledge transfer challenges; and secondly, the motivation of artisanal apprentices who are preoccupied with meeting their livelihood needs over the opportunity to practice a craft. This case study presents an insight into how these challenges playout but also an insight into how these challenges can be overcome. Kazuri Beads have survived these challenges for over 40 years and therefore is an ideal showcase of how an artisan business can be established, grown and sustained in the long run.