JOHANNESBURG'S LARGEST CRAFT MARKET:ROSEBANK ART AND CRAFT MARKET

        "Art and craft" are one of the numerous ways of expressing our thoughts, interests, feelings, etc. Originated from Britain and in another report England, art and craft have vastly spread across all African states and now recognized as an essential characteristic of Africa and Africans and hence, the existence of numerous craft markets in Africa. Explore with me as I take you through the biggest craft market in the southern part of Africa.

The Rosebank art and craft market is situated in Johannesburg, South Africa housing many craft items ranging from beads, paintings, bracelets, figurines, fabrics, artifacts and so forth. It is Johannesburg's largest craft market with a ground floor and an entire floor downstairs in a basement setting.

Like other prominent markets, the Johannesburg's premier craft market is usually busy. It opens everyday and surprisingly, weekends and public holidays inclusive. It houses traders and their products from different African countries like Kenya, Zimabawe, Ghana, Nigeria, among others. To be a trader at the Rosebank art and craft market, your customer-relation skills must be top-notch because tourists have quite a huge number of buyers to choose to buy from. And as a tourist or buyer in the premier craft market, bartering skill is a must-have. Though beautiful, rare and collectable, traders always put up their price a little bit above the normal and hence, you must know how to bargain well.

The first floor welcomes you to an array of beautiful African craft items but the real deal is in the floor downstairs. You have many more beautiful items to explore and if you do mean to explore, you won't miss out on taking a look at the floor in the basement. 

Rosebank art and craft market has an official website which has the "about", "contact us" "gallery-where you get to see the items being sold at the market and giving you an idea of what to see at the market", and amazingly, the "trader of the week icon too where traders are celebrated". The current trader celebrated is the Kenyan Mary Wangu who is acknowledged for her great customer-relation and according to the site, has been trading for over 15years at the market.

The market opens Monday to Thursday between 9:00am-6:30pm, Friday between 9:00am-7:00pm, and between 9:00am-5:00pm on weekends and public holidays. So you know the time to explore rightly. It's never a good time to go to a market few minutes to their closing period. Go early to explore and to trade, and most importantly barter.

During your visit to the Johannesburg's largest craft market, you can also visit the Rosebank mall, having restaurants and lovely views too. Thanks for exploring with us. We hope this is a guide to your next tour, especially lovers of craft and art.

BIG HEART: BEAUTIFUL AFRICA

There is a difference between a big heart and a good heart. I deduce this fact from a wise saying that says "True honor is an outflow from a heart that fears God"

"Black is beautiful" isn't restricted to physical blushes because, as a wise man rightly said, "No Beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart". Africans' kindness and good heartedness endeared a colony of foreigners to their Land. Meanwhile, with time, these qualities endangered them and made them captives of colonisation sparing Ethiopia and Liberia only. However, the perseverance during those times and compassion towards their colonial masters even after their independence shows the "Big Heart" of the Africans.

Hmm! A deep sigh..!

Nowadays, the world is just like a court room, we don't rule with emotions anymore but facts.

Fair enough! but let's travel to the Giant of Africa, Nigeria, housing the Big Heart State, Delta State.  

MUNGO PARK, ASABA, DELTA, NIGERIA

In the coastal part of Kwale, Delta State, the Kwale Game Reserve is situated. It is a rainforest and swampy vegetation, full of reptiles and water animals. It was built in memory of MUNGO PARK.

So, What is it all about?

Mungo Park House is one of the monument in this game reserve. It is a one-storey building established by the Royal Niger Company (RNC) in1886. It was named in honor of the European(Scottish  explorer), Mungo Park, who decided to figure out the onset and end of the River Niger but ended up getting drowned in 1806 at New Bussa, Niger State. 

Though he successfully discovered part of Niger in 1796. This discovery made an easy map-out for the French explorers which later discovered it between October, 1946 - March, 1947.

HISTORICAL LANDMARK

Historically, it was built primarily for palm kernel business but later on became the Seat of the Southern Nigeria Government which made Asaba the administrative head of the Southern protectorate. 

This edifice served as the first headquarters of the RNC and Nigeria's first political headquarters in 1900.

Astonishing, isn't it? There is more to it, it was equally utilized as:

🏫 An Orphanage Home

🏫 A women development center

🏫 A water board

🏫 And now a monument for keeping relics and art-crafts of the decade past.

LOCATION

The edifice is just a stone throw from the architectural modern masterpiece of Grand Hotel.

It is safely located at Grand Hotel Drive, Cable Point, Nnebisi Road, Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria.

COMPOSITION

Its structure was built with sturdy and well-processed wooden palm carefully arranged vertically and horizontally. 

Also, the staircase was constructed using nuts and bolts to join the wooden palm together. 

The materials were made up of woods, cut and treated in Europe before being  imported back to be coupled together in Nigeria to form the sturdy weather-beaten structure.

ACCOMODATIONS

Being notable as a National Museum and Monument, they are varieties of Tourist relaxation center around it. Some of which are:

🍹 Grand Hotel Convention Center, Delta - 950.0m distant, it takes 3minutes to get they by a Car.

🍹Doko International Hotel, Delta - 4.8km distant and it takes 11minutes to get there by car

🍹 Hotel Benizia - 7.1km distant and it takes 14minutes ride by car

🍹 GQ Suite, Asaba, Delta - 7.7km distant, it takes 14 minutes ride by car

🍹 Asabana Suites, Delta - 7.3km and it takes 15minutes ride to get there by car

🍹 Best Western Plus Elomaz Hotel, Asaba, Delta - 7.8km distant and it takes 15minutes ride by car.

Exploring the State regarded as the Big Heart should pitch top-notch hospitality to you.

OVERVIEW

Do you see where we are going with this?

It takes a big heart to help shape little minds, if you would agree with me.

The big-heartedness displayed by the inhabitants of Delta, then Bendel State to commemorate the little effort of Mungo Park is remarkable. Isn't it?

Therefore, you would agree with me that though people in Texas have a good heart while people in Africa exhibit a big heart.

Enjoy your Life touring and exploring Africa, then you will appreciate GOD and Mother nature.