The unique experiential shopping experience at MTN Bushfire’s The Barn Marketplace is made more impactful every year through the traders who respond consciously to the festival’s call to illuminate the transformative power of the arts in igniting positive social and environmental change.

With each edition of the festival, The Barn Marketplace welcomes a community of artisans and designers whose products and service reflect a shared commitment to sustainability, ethical production and the celebration of Eswatini’s rich creative spirit.

The reward for brands extends beyond the high sales turnover which saw the 50 traders in The Barn Marketplace this year generate over E940,000 in sales collectively, adding to over E10.5 million generated by the total of 113 traders across the festival environments.

MTN Bushfire awards traders who standout for merging their thoughtfully made, socially conscious and beautifully crafted pieces with responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship and economic empowerment.

To open this year’s celebration of excellence, MTN Bushfire is honoured to present the Master Maker Award, a distinction reserved for a returning local brand whose presence continually elevates The Barn Marketplace. This award recognises a trader whose enduring creativity and commitment to sustainability keep the festival’s fire burning bright.

Coming in first place this year as the winner of the Master Maker Award is Quazi Design from Eswatini. Renowned for transforming recycled paper and natural material into striking, contemporary jewellery and décor, their work is a compelling paragon of design innovation rooted in environmental responsibility and social empowerment.

Through artisanal training and employment opportunities for women, Quazi Design embodies the values that sit at the heart of MTN Bushfire’s trader standards: ethical production, conscious craftsmanship and community upliftment.

Year after year, Quazi Design brings fresh energy to The Barn Marketplace through their distinctive aesthetic and business model which proves that creativity can be a catalyst for meaningful change. It is this enduring dedication to purpose-driven design that earns them the 2025 Master Maker Award.

Here’s a one-on-one with Quazi Design’s Founding Director, Doron Shaltiel, on the how their artistry continues to inspire, innovate and ignite the spirit of MTN Bushfire, and what they are cooking for 2026.

Please take us back to the founding principles behind Quazi Design’s influential work?
Quazi Design was originally inspired by the powerful tool that craft can be for empowerment and employment. We founded Quazi Designs with a vision to provide local jobs for women who need them, and we wanted to achieve this with a product that was unique. We strive to create original work that tells our own story of Eswatini.

How would you describe your trading experience at MTN Bushfire 2025?
As always, MTN Bushfire gets bigger and better! The Barn Marketplace is expanding and the merchandise and products on offer improve year on year.

As the Master Maker Award winner, what does this recognition mean for you or your business?
We have been at MTN Bushfire since day one! We have fond memories of building our own stall from pallets when the marketplace was still small and situated outside the festival arena, all those years ago. It was always the highlight of our year and the best place to launch new collections to locals, meet our customers and enjoy the atmosphere. This recognition is an honour for us as we consistently strive to champion sustainability and bring innovative design to The Barn Marketplace!

The festival celebrates creativity and originality. How did you express your creative identity through your products and stall design?
Each year we bring new products and new collections to the market. We have customers that return every year to see what new things we make. We love colour and try and express that through our stall design.

MTN Bushfire champions socially responsible business practices. How does your business contribute to positive change in your community?
Our business focuses on sustainable design through social impact, our artisans are the heart of our business, and we create permanent jobs with a living wage while only making products that respect the earth and our environment.

Environmental sustainability is central to the MTN Bushfire ethos, and this has been central to your operations and impact since Quazi Design was established in 2010. How did you compliment the festival’s green mandate this year?
Our raw material is recycled paper and we have always used recycled packaging at MTN Bushfire, with the belief that every aspect of our production and products should be recycled.

MTN Bushfire encourages ethical sourcing and support for local entrepreneurs. How do you incorporate local craftsmanship, materials, or community partnerships into your business model?
Our products are locally made and using only local materials, we support the local wider community by collaborating with local artisan businesses. We will be showcasing our collaboration with Gone Rural and have some new masks on sale.

This festival aims to uplift traders through skills development and market access. What have been your biggest learnings from participating in MTN Bushfire?
That people want original, new, innovative and exciting products. Colourful and bold!

In what ways has trading at MTN Bushfire helped you grow professionally, creatively, or personally?
MTN Bushfire has helped shape our business, by meeting our customers face to face, seeing what they enjoy, and getting direct feedback, we were able to tweak our designs and create new work. It has helped our staff immensely, as the makers get to meet the customers, and talk about what they create, and see people wearing their own creations!

What’s next for your business? Tell us about any exciting plans, innovations, or goals for the coming year.
We will be launching a new collection of bold beaded jewellery in March which we will be bringing to MTN Bushfire 2026 as well as some new wall art and large masks to decorate your home. An MTN Bushfire parade could be good!

How will you continue to ‘Bring Your Fire’ through your brand?
We will continue to create innovative products and collaborate. We also hope to push our craft this year and add more recycled elements. So, watch this space!

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience or your journey as a Bushfire 2025 trader?
The creative community in Eswatini is supportive, encouraging, inspiring and uplifting. We couldn’t have gotten to where we are without them, so thank you for championing local craft and putting it on the main stage 