ZUNGUEIRAS

Each Semba product has a story behind that makes it special.

The zungueiras are the women who roam the streets of Angola selling the products they carry on their heads. This form of street vending is carried out in many countries in Africa, but in Angola it has a particular relevance since more than 70% of the families of the country survive thanks to this type of informal commerce.

The name that these women receive comes from the verb “kuzunga”, which literally means “to wander”, and that is that the zungueiras walk the streets and markets from early morning until the last hour of the day, traveling many kilometers under high temperatures, carrying a large weight on the head and frequently carrying their babies wrapped in the back.

These women sell very varied products, from all kinds of food to household products, but the sale of African wax fabrics is one of the most frequent activities.

The zungueiras, who literally carry on the world and the economy of their houses in their heads, are also a fundamental part of Semba.

In Semba we want to value the work of women in Africa, so we buy our African wax fabrics directly to the zungueiras, in a fair trade and equal way, thus ensuring support for the economy of several families and making our contribution a decent life having to work fewer hours a day and walk less kilometers to survive.

The African wax fabrics we use in Semba’s collections, whether for espadrilles or for clothing, are 100% certified top quality cotton fabrics, made in Africa by African artisans and purchased through Angola’s zungueiras that are already a part of the Semba family.

The fabrics we choose are fascinating, beautiful and colorful, not only because of the materials used and the craftsmanship that goes into their manufacture, but also because of the history behind them. The unique and enriching moments of talk with the zungueiras, with Dona Paula, Dona Weza or tia São, and the fact of being part of their world and they of ours is an incredible gratification and is what we want to transmit through our brand.

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