Making New From Old: The Tin Factory in Ficksburg, South Africa

During my two weeks in South Africa I took a three day trip to the Free State, where I mostly spent time in the artistic town of Clarens, but I also made a quick stop in Ficksburg to take a look around Die Blikplek (The Tin Factory).

Ficksburg is a small town typical, so I’m told, of those in the Free State. I visited on a Monday when it was quiet and sleepy, pulling up at Die Blikplek at around lunchtime. It was empty except for a couple of workers enjoying a break, and a young boy working on some tin-shaped angels in one of the stalls.

At first, it’s difficult to focus on any one thing because there is just so much stuff scattered around. Corrugated open-fronted shacks are set out in rows, each filled from top to bottom with ornaments made from tin, and outside of the shacks there are larger sculptures and piles of tin bowls, plates, mugs, and lids waiting to be crafted into a new life.

The factory was set up by two locals, Sandra Netherlands and Ansie Fourie, who wanted to create a space for their work. Over time, it has developed into a community project, allowing somewhere for the locally unemployed and former criminals to gain a new skill and make some money.

The young boy working away at one of the stalls was a part of the youth project that is currently taking place there. Essentially, street children who would otherwise be getting into trouble are invited to learn how to craft objects out of tin and are given a stall of their own to sell their goods from. The money paid for for these pieces goes straight to the child creator.

It was a slightly strange place, eerie in some ways with the piles of rusty objects – almost as if it had been abandoned many years ago. It’s still very much a working factory, though, and today there is a store and coffee shop on-site for visitors to relax in.

Take a look for yourself and let me know what you think.

Open-front shacks were filled to the brim with tin pieces

Quirky furniture and props were used to add something a bit different to the place

Piles of old tin bowls, cups, pans lined up patiently waiting to be rennovated

Old was used to make new. A lot of the new pieces were ornamental household goods

I wonder what this was in its past life

There were lots of great, creative pieces like this

This was the first thing I saw when I rocked up outside. Pretty cool, huh?

I love the idea behind the tin factory and there were lots of creative pieces on display. I bought a tin angel from the young boy, but I’m not sure I could have bought one of these larger pieces home with me!

What do you think? Would you like to buy something from the tin factory?

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