The historic community of Cullinan have united in efforts to beautify the town, promote local business and make it a destination tourists flock towards.
Cullinan, South Africa (06 February 2024) – Rivival is on the cards for the Cullinan community after the town’s central tourist space took a heavy knock during the pandemic. Many stores and coffee shops closed down and the local artists suffered. With the goal of supporting locals, the NGO, The Makers Foundation is getting things back on track.
Cullinan is most famous for the discovery of the World’s biggest diamond. The Cullinan Diamond was unearthed by Frederick Wells, the surface manager of the Premier Diamond Mining Company on the 26th of January 1905. Seeped in history, the foundation hopes to bring the town back to the forefront of tourists’ minds when looking for a fun day out.
Irene has seen great success over the past 14 years with its own Makers Village; now it’s time for Cullinan to get its chance. Using the same model, the hope is to revive the town’s centre and see an influx of tourists.
The first point of order is drawing in tourists – so to get that done, the community of artists have been sprucing up the public areas, adding artistic elements, cool spaces to sit and soak in the surroundings and must-see Instagrammable features.
“How is it possible that so much talent is on the bench, not employed, but could have a valuable role in the labour market?” asked Tania Bryant, one of the founders. “We dream of a world in which everyone is free to be who they are and talent gets valued.”
The Makers Foundation supports pioneers who work hard to establish a greener, more socially inclusive, and more creative society, in which:
- the capacity of the planet is the starting point (green);
- everybody can participate, where people work together and help each other with respect for individual needs and possibilities (socially inclusive)
- arts and culture are at the heart in the belief that society cannot do without (creative).
Many of the artistic features in town have been made using recycled and reclaimed elements.
The Makers Foundation has established several projects within the Cullinan area that will contribute to the town’s success. A huge focus is on keeping the town clean and beautiful.
Keeping Cullinan Clean
A team of six people with disabilities have been employed two days a week to help keep the town tidy. They move from each area, clearing any dumped rubbish and placing recycling in designated areas.
A recycler has also been brought on to help recycle all the cardboard that is accumulated by the shopping mall. A bin has been procured for all the cardboard boxes, helping to keep them dry.
“We will be assisting the recycler with a bin to store the cardboard boxes; in return they will keep the area clean and communicate all obstacles with our management.”
Tania shared that illegal dumping has continued to be a challenge at an open piece of land next to the Makers Village.
“It is our intention to raise the funds to fence the area and utilise it as a Community Garden. The area lends itself to be used as a park for the local people and we would like to build a labyrinth where people can come and walk their dogs.”
The vision is there and the community is ready to make it happen. With collaboration from business, support from tourists and determined residents, the sky is the limit in reviving the town.
“At a time when people are looking for connection and authenticity, Cullinan has the potential to reclaim and revitalise local and international tourism and has the potential to become a tourist magnet again. Sure, large cities often dominate the tourism industry, but there’s something appealing about discovering the unexplored charms of a smaller corner of the world.
Now that you get the picture here is our plan with the challenges that we are facing in South Africa.”
So if you find yourself on the border of Gauteng, looking for a day out, visit the hidden gem Cullinan and help them support local and revive their town.
Sources: The Makers Foundation
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