Our Story
Nontando first opened its doors in 2003 with our retail store in Sarasota, Florida. With our online business at www.nontando.com, we are providing our customers across all corners of the United States and internationally with quality products from all regions of the African continent.
Unlike many retailers in this niche, our buying strategy is actually travelling to Africa annually, meeting the artists, and hand selecting the best of African Art, Gifts and Home Decor. Through our travels, we meet men and women producing a wide range of arts and crafts. Working on the pavements, markets of the big cities to deep rural enclaves with every form of traditional art work.
Your support, no matter how big or small, impacts the lives of these talented people, as well as their families and communities.
Product categories include Masks, Conversational Art, Wood and Stone carvings, jewelry, lighting, ceramics, textiles, wire products, shadows boxes and frames, candles, apparel, music & musical instruments, kitchenware, monkey ball products, copperware, pewterware, malachite range, bead products, and lots more.
Our products are sourced from the entire continent of Africa and much of our products are acquired directly from the artists responsible during our annual buying trips to Africa. Our goals with this approach is the following:
- To handpick and select our own products, bringing unique, high quality and a diverse selection of product to our customers that are not found in many traditional outlets.
- Eliminate the need to for us to use wholesalers and middlemen thereby ensuring the artist can command their own price for their work without the need for them to use a third party to sell their wares.
- Bring our products to our customers at affordable prices.
We are strong believers in what we call the "3 e's" for the artists and producers of Africa, i.e. Education, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment. We believe our method of trade, communication and transaction helps to accomplish this!
No matter your decor – traditional, contemporary, shabby chic or retro, each piece holds its own as a striking accent and is sure to stimulate conversation.
Upendo na Amani - Gary@Nontando - Love and Peace
