Cameroonian craftmen and their peers from 20 African countries are showcasing the continent’s cultural diversity in Yaounde.

The fair village of the International Handicraft Exhibition of Cameroon, SIARC, at its fifth edition is impressive at first sight. The traditional regalia of people of the South, North, East and of the grassfield give an icing on the cake to visitors as they cross into the Tsinga fair ground at the Yaounde II Subdivision of the Centre Region. All the regions are represented at the fair village with some outstanding craftwork that leaves no eye indifferent.

Yaounde-based wood worker, Caster Berinyuy, like many others in his field has put on a king-size bed in his stand, which he says took him over three months to produce. He stated that the bed was made of Sapellin, some natural Cameroon wood, and contains handmade sculpure design with leader. Three months of intensive work with over FCFA 1 Million buried in the craft, gives the piece owner the audacity to want to face the international market. The exhibitor says his craft targets a particluar class of people, given its prestigious nature.

Another exhibitor, Julien Pierre Nomo, explained that they got a chief’s palace with a dinning table, bed and victory throne. He disclosed that it is on the throne, made up of recycled storm wood that a chief seats after any battle. “More special is however the bed that we decorated with recycled plastic bottles. Our craft pieces are within reach I must say. Designers can cost as low as FCFA 1000 with sophiscated items like the bed at about FCFA 400, 000,” said Mr Nomo.

 « We have got everything at this fair village, » Anam Katrin Abanda, a traditional dress designer stated. The cost of her dresses depends on the combination. The fabric and colours when combined with particular bits and designs determine the price of each piece. “Those for men are pretty expensive. They can go as much as FCFA 100,000 while those for women can sell as low as FCFA 20,000 or FCFA 35, 000,” said Katrin Abanda.

Jeanne Ngo-Njami Auscher, promoter of a fair stand with traditional/natural-made chairs, chieftaincy (palace) set, stools, elephant masks is already counting blessings of SIARC 2016. Business might not be at its best, but visitors are already picking some of the articles. “One needs to be smart while negotiating with customers. “Not all have the financial means to cash for what they want but business pays when one has a strong bargaining power,” dislosed the exhibitor. Ngo-Njami said she has sold some craftwork at “conciliation prices”. 

The 2016 International Handicraft Exhibition of Cameroon, SIARC, opened its doors on March 31, 2016. The President of the Economic and Social Council, Ayang Luc, on behalf of the Head of State, cut the symbolic ribbon, officially opening the fair in Yaounde, yesterday, April 4, 2016. The special representative of President Paul Biya, in the company of the Minister of Small and Medium-size Entreprises, Social Economy and Handicraft, Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa, and a battery of cabinet Ministers, visited some of the stands to appreciate the ingenuity of Cameroonian craftmen and their peers of the continent.