Tsakani
Silk is pure natural protein, gentle on the skin, naturally biodegradable; and because insects do not like to eat silk, does not house dust mites; making it an ideal fabric for those, who like me, suffer from allergies and respiratory conditions like asthma. Sericulture, which is the growing of silk, needs to take place in a chemical free and natural environment, and is a practice supported by pioneering South African silk product developing company, Tsakani. Situated in New Forest, on the border of Mpumalanga Province, Tsakani started life as a government silk project before being privatised in 1994. In recent years, concerns have been raised over harmful silk production methods; and Tsakani is a company committed to sustainable silk harvesting. Tsakani develops and promotes a range of luxurious natural organic African silk products, including bedding and linens, silk filled duvets, cushions and soft furnishings, clothing and personal accessories, that are made using both natural and cultivated silks. Tsakani’s handcrafted Wild African silk is derived from a local species of wild moth.

Tsakani’s hand woven silks are different in look and texture to the more widely known traditional Eastern silks. The silk yarns are hand spun; with one spinner producing approximately five kilograms of silk yarn a month. The silks are hand dyed on a small scale, resulting in each batch of colour differing from the next, giving rise to unique and beautifully-hued collections. I do like the softness and lightness of silk, and the colours created by Tsakani's make for some tempting products indeed.