Our values & mission
It is our mission to create and produce visionary and contemporary interior designs for homes all over the world. At the same time to generate fair and meaningfull income for artists and artisans in the Southern Africa. We will make it our mission to cultivate the unique position we have with vast experience in combining African art and culture with Danish design and culture.
We strive for increasing sustainability and for our production, sales and export to adhere to the UN Global compact and the ten Fairtrade principles.
Our core values guide our work and passion and they are as follows:
Handmade with love
.
Natural materials
Originality
Recycling
Fair Trade
HOUSE BY THE SEA AFRICA Ltd is built on excitement and facination for the African continent – its powerful cultures, wild and magnificent nature and fascinating arts and crafts. We respect and enjoy the corporation with artists, artisans and villagers and are full of admiration for the artisans, young innovators, scolars and business people who thive and develop while living with the cocktail of crises that make up life on the African continent.
We are an innovative company with 15 years of experience in export, trade, design, training and production. Based in Southern Africa, we work closely with metal artisan, stone sculptors, visual artists and the many villagers who braid and weave in their spare hours. We design and export globally while creating and producing locally.
Sustainability is at our core. We craft our products from natural materials, built to last or from recycled materials. By focusing on handmade and slow craftmanship, we minimize our environmental footprint. We are proud to be Fairtrade approved by Fair Trade Denmark, a member of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WF)
Take a moment to watch our video to find out more about how we are and how we do our collaboration
Our Story
When Africa gets under your skin, it gets under your skin!
House by the Sea Africa began as the danish name “Huset ved Havet” wholesale and Shona Art Gallery on the coast in Denmark.
Alice Jul, initiator of HOUSE BY THE SEA explains, “Our small company began as an attempt to combine the very different worlds and lives in Scandinavia and in Africa. In 2005, we opened a gallery for Shona Art on the coast of Denmark – hence the name – and began importing by container to Europe. We became Fair Trade approved as shop, importer and wholesalers – and several of the producing workshops in Zimbabwe got approved as Fairtrade producers through Fairtrade Denmark, member of the WFTO.
In 2011 we had our first international design workshop with Danish Designers and Zimbabwean sculptors, and the concept: Functional Art in Stone, was born. We still carry bestsellers, like ” The Egg Bowl” and “Clephas Platter” designed back in early days.
Since 2013 we have had our base in Zimbabwe, closer to the artisan’s the colours of the world, fascinating nature and intriguing people and culture.
Alice Jul
– Founder, International Sales
It is my passion to experience what art and design do for people, – both for the creators and the spectators and the buyers. On one hand to be part of the creative process with the artisans and to try to make a fair and meaningful living for all. And on the other hand, to take the art and crafts to the customers and experience how our products can make a positive change in their homes or lives.
After several rewarding years in broard casting, the corporate world and international development, I decided to return and establish a business founded on ethical principles. This venture would focus on rural communities and the so called urban poor and promote the exceptional art and craft in Southern Africa.
I have beautiful family, rooted in Scandinavia and in Africa – I love my big, old Land Cruiser and where it takes me. I find inspiration to create and trade from life in Africa.
“If we don’t have art, we have no place to be different together”
(heard in the properly best radio channel in the world)
The Team
We are a team of Zimbabwean and Danish employees at HOUSE BY THE SEA AFRICA, who since 2005 have traded in good quality products made by skilled artisans and artists from southern Africa. Together we buy, trade, develop, produce, ship, exhibit and sell to customers globally.
Alice Jul
– CEO & International Sales
Being in contact with our clients, customers, partners and friends is my main focus and concern. It will often be me who will respond to your inquiries. I will be looking forward to welcoming you to HOUSE BY THE SEA AFRICA soon.
Jon Jørgensen
– Website Magician
As web designer and communicator in the modern and digital world, I find great pleasure in creating suitable platforms to bridge and display art, design or interior products from our artistic, rustic, warm and handmade African setting. – Its is like we are on a journey to establish colourful, cultural business connection between the two worlds.
Tawanda Ziwerere
– Admin
It gives me new challenges working with HBTS. – Being educated and rooted in Zimbabwe, working with HBTS gives me new perspective on my own world but also a different view on international fairtrade business and exports. It’s my window to the outside world and I thrive with the challenges.
Patronela
– Storage & packing
Warehouse and packing for customers is my job. I like arranging and categorizing and making sure everything is packed well and secure for the freight.
George
– DHL Logistics
My DHL team in down town Harare is making sure that your parcels and packages are going safely and smoothly all over the world. I have a passion for arts and crafts from Africa so working with HBTS is my small part in the artisan world. Sending all the different and odd parcels with African art makes me very happy.
Harry
– Head of Good Vibes
Woof, woof! As head of good vibes and office dog I just wanted to say this place smells fantastic? Every morning, I get to walk in, and there’s always a hint of coffee, paper, and sometimes, someone’s lunch!
Then there is the belly rubs. Honestly, I think that’s the best employee benefit here. You all know just the right spot to scratch, and it’s like a bonus every single day! I get to hang out with you during breaks, sit by your side while you work, and offer a little boost when you need it. It’s like I’m the official morale booster, and let me tell you, it’s a job I take seriously
Fairtrade Designers
Since 2010 we have cooperated with the danish Fairtrade Designers who have since become our “in-house designers”. They are part of the HOUSE BY THE SEA family.
Global Compact & Fairtrade
The Code of Conduct (CoC) we have with our manufacturing partners is an agreement between us and our suppliers, which imposes a wide range of requirements that the suppliers must meet. The requirements are not something we have invented, but we have chosen the UN’s Global Compact program and the WFTO’s principles for Fair Trade. HOUSE BY THE SEA is a member of Fair Trade Denmark and the largest producers are approved by Fair Trade Denmark. We hereby undertake to comply with the international Fair Trade principles.
The UN Global Compact is based on international human rights and the standards within human and labor rights, including conventions and international agreements on sustainable development and combating corruption.
It is implemented in the following 10 principles:
Human rights
1) THE HOUSE BY THE SEA, the company should support and respect the protection of internationally declared human rights
2) THE HOUSE BY THE SEA must ensure that we do not contribute to the violation of human rights
Employee rights and Fair Trade
3) The company will promote healthy and safe working conditions and payment of a fair price
4) The company must maintain freedom of association and support transparency and accountability
5) The company should support the abolition of all forms of child or forced labour
6) The company should support capacity building and development and avoid product copying
7) The company must eliminate discrimination in working and employment conditions
Environment
8) The company must take the initiative to promote sustainable environmental management, including nature management
9) The company must encourage the development and spread of environmentally friendly technologies
Anti-corruption
10) The company should oppose all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery
