Algerian craft industry struggling for survival

08/10/2006

With trade deregulated and the market flooded with cheap Asian goods, combined with the fall in Algerian tourism during the decade-long civil war and the high cost of raw materials, the Algerian craft industry is struggling for survival.

By Nazim Fethi for Magharebia in Algiers – 08/10/06

[File] High rents in Algeria have forced many artisans to use their homes as shops.

Thousands of Algerians are abandoning handicrafts for more profitable work due to a number of factors.

Yousef Farah, a former ceramics maker who now runs a café in the Kasbah, blames the desertion of the profession on the high cost of raw materials.

"To make ceramics, you need pure clay. You have to go and find it and pay a high price. That has an effect on the price of the finished goods. Since the terrorist attacks began, tourists have stopped coming to the Kasbah. Who can we sell to? Algerians can buy imported ceramics ten times cheaper than ours," he told Magharebia.

Local craftsmen are finding it difficult to compete with mass-produced goods, a result of trade deregulation. For example, a Chinese vase in Algiers sells for less than 2,000 dinars, while a domestic ceramic handmade vase sells for at least 10,000 dinars.

Foreign visitors still look for locally-made crafts, while locals tend to turn towards the inexpensive alternatives. Omar Arabadji, a veteran craftsman from the Kasbah of Algiers, notes, "This used to be the street of the jewellery makers. Across the street was where weavers used to work. A bit further is where the coppersmiths were and down there is where the leather workers were. Now they're all gone. The whole Kasbah has been taken over by cheap rubbish."

However, some craftsmen remain.

Boualem Mazioud still owns a small gold thread shop. While demand for traditional dresses has never fallen, especially for weddings, the price of gold thread has risen sharply, which has inevitably had an effect on the price of kaftans, karakous and other ceremonial dresses.

"Brides take two years or more to pay for their dresses and I've had to adapt... Women order their dresses and pay in monthly instalments over two to three years," Mazioud explains.

A custom-made wedding gown in Algiers with gold thread embroidery starts at 60,000 dinars, while the ready-to-wear gowns sell for no more than 20,000 dinars.

With the return of a modest number of tourists (approximately 200,000 over the last several years), Rachid Ferki, like many other Algerian craftsmen, would like to see designated areas for artisans in places frequented by tourists, such as the Kasbah in Algiers. He is also hoping for more government support, particularly with regard to raw materials, to help nationally-produced craft items compete with imports.

The government has begun allowing bank loans at low interest rates for young people entering the profession.

Ferki, who was an electronics engineer, decided to start his own business selling glass items. He goes from town to town to craft shows because, "It's the only way I can advertise my products. I have no sales premises because the rent is too expensive, so I squat at all the exhibitions to try to make a success of my business."