Sokofa Shop
Discover artisan-made bags, jewelry, footwear, and everyday accessories designed to complement African fashion.
165 items
Fashion Accessories
A handmade drop earring built on a bright red button, with a red and white spotted strawberry and a green leafy top hanging below it. These earrings belong to EHC, The Earring That Heard The Conversation. The buttons once held clothes together and now sit by the ear, listening in. That is the whole idea of the piece, something ordinary moved to where it can be noticed. This is the playful one. The strawberry is small and solid rather than dainty, so it reads across a room, and the red button repeats the fruit instead of competing with it. It suits denim and plain summer clothes, and it is short enough to wear all day without pulling. About 5cm long. Made by hand in Ibadan, Nigeria. Keep it away from perfume and water, and store it flat.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Crafts
Flat leather sandals from Nairobi with a beaded butterfly worked across the toe strap in copper, white and multicoloured glass beads. The butterfly is the reason to buy these. It is built up bead by bead and sewn onto the strap, not printed and not glued on, so the wings catch the light as you walk and no two pairs are spaced quite the same. The body is worked in rows of copper toned beads and the wings in mixed colours, and the whole piece sits proud of the leather. Underneath it is a plain, well made sandal. A stitched leather footbed with a tooled border, a toe post and a slim strap across the instep, and a leather sole. Nothing on the foot but leather and beads. The photographs show the brown colourway. Black is also available from the colour options. Choose your usual UK size. Wipe the leather with a dry cloth and keep the beadwork out of water.
Sold by Alpha Threads Fashions • NAIROBI
Fashion Accessories
A wide brass cuff built from dozens of fine wires looped onto a single frame, so it wears like a stack of thin bangles but slides on as one piece. A real stack of that many bangles slips, rattles and takes a minute to get on, and this gives you the same armful of gold colour without the noise. A matching domed brass ring comes with it. The wires are drawn, shaped and joined by hand in East Africa, so the spacing varies very slightly along the cuff and no two are identical. The back is open, so you can ease it a little wider or narrower to sit where you want on the wrist. Keep it dry, and bring the shine back with a soft cloth.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade waist beads in cream glass seed beads, on one long strand with orange, teal and pink butterfly charms and a gold tone screw clasp. The seed beads have a soft pearly sheen, so the strand sits quietly against the skin, and the three small butterflies add just enough colour to catch the eye. It is a simple everyday strand rather than a statement piece, easy to wear on its own or alongside other waist beads. The maker gives the length as 100cm. It fastens with a small screw clasp at one length rather than a tie, so measure round the point where you will wear it before ordering. Made by hand in Kenya. Take it off before swimming or bathing, and undo the clasp gently rather than pulling on the strand.
Sold by Tribal Shop • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A wide, flat collar necklace netted by hand from white seed beads, crossed with diagonal stripes of gold coloured beads and fastened with a gold tone clasp. The beads are worked into an open lattice, so the collar lies flat around the base of the neck and lets a little skin show through the net. The gold stripes run the whole way round at an angle, which gives the piece movement without adding colour. White and gold go with almost anything, so this is the collar for a wedding, a celebration or a plain dark dress that needs one strong piece. The maker gives it as about 40cm long and 1.5cm wide. It closes with a lobster clasp between two gold tone ball ends. If you prefer a rounded rope to a flat collar, the Pearl Twist necklaces from the same maker are the other shape to look at. Care: keep it dry, store it flat so the net keeps its shape, and wipe it gently with a soft cloth.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade matching set in the colours of the Kenyan flag: a red, green, black and white pearl twist necklace and a pair of round beaded flower earrings. Made for Jamhuri Day, Madaraka Day, a Kenyan wedding or a gift for someone far from home. Fahari is the Swahili word for pride. The necklace winds bands of red, green and black pearl beads around a rope, each edged with small white beads the way the flag edges its colours in white, and fastens with a silver tone lobster clasp. The earrings are white beaded flowers ringed in black, with red and green loops around a faceted silver bead at the centre, on silver tone fish hooks. The first photograph shows both pieces together on a plain background. The necklace is also sold on its own as the Fahari Twist Necklace. Care: keep both pieces dry and away from perfume, and store the necklace laid flat or loosely coiled so the spiral keeps its shape.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade drop earrings in red and gold seed beads, each one a triangular knot of beaded strands looping over and under each other, hanging from gold tone fish hook ear wires. Bright enough for a wedding or a celebration and light enough to wear all day. The strands alternate silver lined red and gold beads, so the knot flashes gold wherever it catches the light. The first photograph is the pair on a plain plate and shows the beadwork as it really is, thread and all. If you prefer the Kenyan flag colours, the store also makes this knot in red, green, black and white. Care: keep them dry and away from perfume, and store them flat so the knot keeps its shape.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A chunky Maasai beaded bangle, glass seed beads wound solidly around a rigid core. You receive one bangle in the colour you choose from the picker. The photographs show the white one, its surface broken by narrow multicolour accent bands, and the same design is made in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. The beads go right around with no clasp or opening, so it slips over the hand and sits with a pleasing weight; the maker gives the size as 20 cm around, so check it against a bangle you already own. Wear one on its own or stack colours, which is how they are worn in Kenya. Made by hand in Kenya. Wipe with a dry cloth and keep perfume off the beads.
Sold by Tribal Shop • Kenya
Crafts
A pair of teardrop wooden earrings, each face hand drawn with a band of African geometric pattern and hung from a small white faceted bead. Light enough for all day wear. The pattern is worked freehand across the lower half of each drop, rows of circles, arcs and dashes, so the two earrings in a pair sit close but never match exactly and no two pairs are the same. The wood keeps its grain under a warm reddish finish. Each drop hangs from a wire wrapped loop on a silver tone fish hook. Handmade in Kenya. Keep them dry and wipe with a soft cloth.
Sold by Tribal Shop • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade beaded earrings worked as an interwoven triangular knot in black and gold seed beads, on gold tone hooks. The knot is the point of them. Three loops pass over and under each other so the bands appear to weave through, which gives the piece real depth at a size that stays small and light. It is a harder thing to bead than a flat panel, and it shows. Zuri means beautiful in Swahili. At 2.5cm square these are the everyday pair in the range rather than a statement, the ones that go on without thought and still look considered. The maker gives the size as 2.5 by 2.5cm. Every bead is threaded by hand, so the two knots sit slightly differently and neither will match the photographs exactly. Keep them away from perfume, and store them flat.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A wide handmade collar necklace in white and gold seed beads, netted into an open diamond lattice that fans out from the neckline over the collarbone and shoulders. It suits a bride, a wedding guest or anyone who wants one statement piece over a plain neckline. The neckline is worked in close rows of white with a fine gold line running through them. From there the beadwork opens into a lattice of white diamonds, with a single gold bead at every crossing and a gold drop at each point of the lower edge, so the collar catches the light as it moves. It fastens at the back with a silver tone lobster clasp and a short extender chain, which you can see in the first photograph, so it can sit a little higher or lower on the neck. The maker gives the neckline as 36cm around and the outer edge as 90cm around. Amani is the Swahili word for peace, a quiet echo of the store's own name: mulembe means peace in Lubukusu. Care: store it flat so the lattice keeps its shape, and keep it away from perfume and water.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade drop earring with an off white button at the ear, a large gold tone hoop, and a clear resin disc set with gold domes hanging inside it. This is the quiet one in the range. The resin disc and the gold studs give it a finish closer to bought jewellery than to craft, so the button idea reads as a detail rather than the whole statement. Off white sits against anything, where the fuchsia, orange and red pairs in this shop are chosen for their colour. Construction: a four hole off white button forms the stud, a jump ring carries the gold tone hoop, and a round clear resin disc studded with gold domes hangs inside the hoop. About 7cm long from the top of the stud. Care: put them on after perfume and hairspray, keep them dry, and store them flat on the card they arrive on.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
A three piece beaded set on white: a multi strand collar necklace banded in orange, blue, red, green and black, with a matching bracelet and a pair of drop earrings. White does the opposite of what black does. Instead of holding the colour back it throws it forward, so the bands read as bright blocks rather than as accents. That is why this is the set to reach for when the rest of the outfit is already plain. Over white linen, a black dress, denim, or traditional dress cut in a single colour, it becomes the thing people look at. It is bright without being heavy, which makes it easier to wear in daylight than most statement jewellery. The necklace is worked in several bead wrapped strands, banded with colour across the front and fastened at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain so the drop can be adjusted. The bracelet carries the same beads in the same order, which is what makes the three pieces read as one set. One honest note: white shows what black hides. Foundation, perfume and hand cream all mark pale beadwork, so this set rewards being put on last and taken off first. Every strand is strung by hand, so the spacing of the colour bands varies slightly from set to set. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion, make up and water. Lay the necklace flat or hang it rather than folding it into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe it with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Six handmade beaded bracelets from Ghana, each in its own pattern. Each bracelet is a firm, round tube of small beads stitched closely together. There is no clasp, so each one slips over the hand. The patterns run from simple orange and yellow stripes to blocks of red, white, green and yellow, bright chevrons, and turquoise grounds dotted with tiny bead flowers. Wear one on its own, stack all six on one wrist, or split the set between friends as gifts. They are made by Ancient Culture, a Ghanaian artisan partner of Unite Root Africa in Nsawam. The set is assorted. The maker works with the beads on hand, so the six you receive will be in the same style as the photographs but not necessarily the same six patterns.
Sold by Unite Root Africa • Ghana
Fashion
Handmade men's Oxford shoes in tan suede and smooth leather, with a suede toe and quarters, a leather band across the vamp and closed lacing. The two textures are the point of this pair. Suede at the toe and around the heel, polished leather through the middle, and pale contrast stitching tracing every seam, so the shoe reads as smart without looking stiff. It sits comfortably with chinos, tailored trousers or a suit in navy or grey, from the office to a weekend lunch. Photographed in the tan brown colourway. The maker also offers black, red and navy blue in the same pattern; those are not pictured, so ask the seller for a photograph before choosing one. Sizes 40 to 50. Sizes 48, 49 and 50 carry a small extra charge, shown when you pick the size. Care: brush the suede with a soft suede brush when dry and keep it away from heavy rain. Wipe the leather with a damp cloth and use a neutral cream now and then. Store with shoe trees or paper inside to hold the shape.
Sold by Earlybird • Nigeria
Fashion Accessories
Drop earrings made from a large pink four hole button, with a small pink heart and a green cactus charm hanging below it on a silver tone ring. This is the only pair in the collection that moves. Everything else in the EHC line sits flat against the ear, so if you want the maker's idea with some swing in it, this is the pair. It is also the most openly funny one, which matters if you are buying it as a small gift rather than for yourself. The button is a proper coat button with all four stitch holes showing, and the charm hangs from a jump ring through its bottom edge, so the cactus turns and catches the light as you move. The post is fixed to the back of the button. Keep them dry and store them flat so the charm does not tangle.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
Handmade flat sandals with a wide beaded ankle cuff and a toe strap of round medallions, worked in green, yellow, purple and white glass seed beads on a black sole. If your summer wardrobe is mostly plain, this is the pair that adds the colour for you. The four bead colours mean it picks up almost anything, so one pair earns its place next to several outfits rather than waiting for the one it matches. The ankle cuff is a broad panel of fine seed beads in curved rows, and the toe strap steps down in three beaded medallions to the post. The sole and straps are leather. All of it is threaded and stitched by hand, row by row. Wipe the leather with a dry cloth, keep the beads away from perfume, and store the pair flat so the cuff holds its shape.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A 3-pack canvas tote bag set with a minimalist line-art design and black webbing handles, made for daily errands, books, and shopping. Unisex fit, sized for everyday carrying rather than as a statement art piece. This is the unisex minimalist line-art version from Macaw House, available in 12x14, 14x16, and 16x18 inch sizes at £45 for the 3-pack.
Sold by Macaw House • Lagos
Fashion
A small blue top handle bag, built from flat marbled discs hung in overlapping rows, with a band and arched handle woven from faceted crystal beads. It is an occasion bag rather than a daily one. It holds a phone, a card holder and a lipstick, and it is meant to be the thing people look at against a plain outfit. The discs are the reason to choose this one over a flat beaded bag. Each one hangs from a short stem of tiny beads rather than being stitched down, so the whole surface swings and resettles as you walk and the light moves across it. The handle and the top band are a different piece of work altogether, a dense lattice of faceted beads woven tight enough to hold the shape of the arch on its own. This listing is the blue one, which is what the photographs show and what you will receive. If you want the same idea in another colour, the Nenye bag from the same maker is the smooth marble disc version and is offered in several shades. The maker gives the size as 23cm high and 18cm wide, and lists the materials as beads, sand beads and flat marble beads. Every disc and every bead is threaded on by hand, so no two bags are packed quite alike. The discs hang free, so keep the bag away from knitwear and from jewellery that can catch them, store it in a dust bag rather than loose in a wardrobe, and wipe it with a dry soft cloth.
Sold by Prechgold_crafts • Nigeria
Crafts
Men's black leather slides with one wide strap embossed in a woven basket pattern and finished with a small black buckle, handmade in Lagos, Nigeria. Everything is black, the strap, the buckle, the footbed and the sole, so there is nothing shiny to date them and they sit as easily with dark trousers as with native wear. The embossed weave gives a plain slide some texture without adding any colour. Available in sizes 40 to 44. If you prefer something softer and more casual, the same maker's brown crossover strap slides are the other way to go.
Sold by Mary_N Footies • Lagos
Fashion Accessories
Stud earrings made from small dished wooden buttons with a faceted stone set into the well of each one, sold as one pair in yellow or pink. The setting is what separates these from the plain button studs in the same collection. The button is deep enough to hold the stone the way a ring holds one, so the finished earring reads as a small vintage brooch rather than as a button with a gem stuck on the front. The buttons are hand painted and the finish is glossy, so both the yellow and the pink sit closer to a sweet shop colour than to a wood tone. The stone sits down in the hollow rather than proud of the face, so there is nothing to catch on a scarf. The post is fixed to the back of the button, so nothing shows from the front. Keep them dry. Wood and water do not agree, so take them off before washing your face.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
A handmade earring built on an orange button, with a large gold tone hoop below it and a faceted amber drop hanging inside the hoop. These earrings belong to EHC, The Earring That Heard The Conversation. The buttons once held clothes together and now sit by the ear, listening in. That is the whole idea of the piece, something ordinary moved to where it can be noticed. This is the one to pick if you want size. The hoop is wide enough to sit clear of the jaw and the amber drop swings inside it as you move, so the earring keeps catching the light instead of hanging still. Orange and gold against plain black or white is the easiest way to wear it. About 7cm long including the hoop. Made by hand in Ibadan, Nigeria. Keep it away from perfume and water, and store it flat.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
A handmade drop earring built on a fuchsia pink button, with a pale pink rose and small green leaves hanging below it on gold tone wire. These earrings belong to EHC, The Earring That Heard The Conversation. The buttons once held clothes together and now sit by the ear, listening in. That is the whole idea of the piece, something ordinary moved to where it can be noticed. If you want a piece that reads as flowers first and jewellery second, this is the one to pick. The roses are translucent, so they catch the light rather than block it, and the green leaves keep the pink from going sugary. Wear it against a plain colour and let it be the only thing going on. About 6.5cm long. Made by hand in Ibadan, Nigeria. Keep it away from perfume and water, and store it flat.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
Handmade crochet slides with a strap of small flowers, each one centred with a faux pearl, set on a leather footbed. EU 36 to 44, made to order. The strap is a garland, which is where the name comes from. A row of crochet petals worked flower by flower, every one finished with a pearl at its centre, and a single smaller flower sitting on the toe ring. It is quiet work rather than loud, which is the whole point of them. Five colours: black, white, red, brown, or custom. Custom means what it says. Tell us the colour you want the twine crocheted in and the pair is made in that colour, which is how these end up matching a wedding party or an outfit nobody else is wearing. The white pair with pearls is a bridal shoe, and it solves a real problem. Something to change into at the reception that still looks like it belongs at the wedding, and what the bridesmaids ask for once it becomes clear the heels are not going to survive the day. Acrylic twine crocheted by hand over a leather footbed. They are made deliberately snug and they ease into shape with wear, so expect them to feel firm on the first day rather than loose. Made to order in EU 36 to 44 by a team of artisans led by Temiloluwa Paul, the founder of Somethin' Nice. Dispatch runs two to four weeks because every pair is crocheted from scratch once you order, not pulled off a shelf. Care: keep the crochet dry and spot clean with a damp cloth rather than washing them. Store them flat so the strap holds its shape, and if they do get wet, let them dry naturally away from direct heat.
Sold by Somethin' Nice • Nigeria
Fashion Accessories
A three piece beaded set in red and black: a multi strand collar necklace with a beaded flower at the centre front, a matching bracelet and drop earrings. The necklace is built from several bead wrapped strands gathered into gold tone caps and fastened at the back with a clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it higher on the collarbone or let it drop. At the centre front sits a five petal beaded flower worked in red and black, which is what makes this read as a designed piece rather than a plain collar. The bracelet is built the same way, several bead wrapped strands bound into shared gold tone caps with a hook fastening, and the earrings carry the same red and black banding, so the three pieces read as one thought rather than three accessories that happen to match. Red is the loudest thing you can put against plain black, white or cream, and this set is meant to be the one strong idea in an outfit rather than one of five small ones. It suits a wedding, a naming ceremony, church, or a shoot. If you would rather the jewellery sat back a little, the black and multicolour set in this shop does the same job more quietly. Every strand is strung by hand, so bead placement and the exact fall of the strands vary a little from set to set. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle. Wipe with a dry soft cloth.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A 3-pack of canvas tote bags featuring an original abstract face art design, built for daily use rather than display. Each bag is made from durable canvas with sturdy black webbing handles, sized for books, shopping, gym kit, or work essentials. This is the abstract face art version from Macaw House, available in 12x14, 14x16, and 16x18 inch sizes at £45 for the 3-pack.
Sold by Macaw House • Lagos
Fashion Accessories
Custom Jute Souvenir Gift Bags, handcrafted eco-friendly totes for events and branding. Our handcrafted jute souvenir bags are eco friendly, durable and can be customised for corporate and special events. Available in different sizes and colours
Sold by Dammyglory Crafts • Lagos State
Fashion Accessories
A brass wire ear cuff set with eight natural cowrie shells. The shells fan out around the outer curve of the ear like a small sunburst, each one bound onto a frame of brass wire that is coiled by hand along its whole length and finished with a curl or spiral at each end. It sits around the ear rather than through a piercing, so it pairs easily with the studs or hoops you already wear. The maker gives the size as 5cm. Care: brass darkens naturally over time, and a soft dry cloth brings back the shine. Keep it dry and store it flat so the frame holds its shape.
Sold by AfroGlam Jewels • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A multi strand Maasai style bead necklace that cascades from collar to chest. More than fifteen strands of glass seed beads in red, yellow, orange, blue, green, black and white are gathered into two flat woven bands, with a centre column of large diamond shaped beads running down the middle and silver tone chains and disc drops swinging along the lower strands. It fastens with small metal hooks at the ends of the woven bands. This is a statement piece for weddings, cultural celebrations, stage and photography, worn over a plain neckline so the beadwork does the talking. It is the boldest piece in this maker's range: if you want the same colours in a quieter form, the shop's beaded cuff bracelets carry them in a single band. Wipe with a dry cloth and store flat or hung so the strands do not tangle.
Sold by Tribal Shop • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade matching set: a pink and white pearl twist necklace and a pair of pink and white beaded flower earrings, both beaded by hand in Kenya. Made for a bridesmaid, a birthday or anyone who wants a finished pink look in one buy. The necklace is a rope of white pearl beads wrapped in bright pink seed beads that spiral all the way round it, fastened with a silver tone lobster clasp and a short extender chain. The earrings are Waridi flowers, Swahili for rose, with white petals looped in pink around a pink pearl bead, on silver tone fish hooks. The first photograph shows both pieces together on a plain background. Both pieces are also sold on their own, as the Pearl Twist Necklace in pink and white and the Waridi Beaded Flower Earrings, if you only want one. Care: keep both pieces dry and away from perfume, and store the necklace laid flat or loosely coiled so the spiral keeps its shape.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade Krobo glass bead necklace in yellow with patterned tube beads. Strung by hand in Ghana, it alternates bright yellow glass discs with patterned tube beads in red, blue, green and white, and ties with a soft cotton cord. The beads are made the Krobo way, from recycled glass ground to powder, moulded and fired, then patterned and fired again, which is why no two beads are ever quite alike. At about 60 cm it sits low on the chest and holds its own over a plain shirt or a kaftan. If you prefer something quieter, the shop's cream Krobo necklace is the softer choice, and the glass bead bracelet shown looped around this necklace is sold separately in the shop.
Sold by GOLDEN HERITAGE AFRICA GALLERY • Cape Coast
Fashion Accessories
Large stud earrings made from painted wooden buttons, on gold tone posts with butterfly backs. Choose one pair in pink, mint green or beige. The price is for one pair. They are the size of a real coat button, which is the whole point of them, and they weigh almost nothing, so you get the scale of a statement earring without the drag on the earlobe that usually comes with it. All three colourways are soft rather than bright, so they sit on top of a printed shirt without arguing with it. These are wooden buttons, hand painted, so the four stitch holes are still there and the grain still shows through the paint at the rim. The post is fixed to the back of the button rather than through a hole, so nothing shows from the front. The second photograph shows the three pairs loose, including one turned over, which is the best look at the fitting and at the true size. Keep them dry. Wood and water do not agree, so take them off before washing your face.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
Beaded drop earrings in the shape of a continuous knot: three beaded loops in red, black and green crossing over and under each other into a soft triangle, with a single white bead at each of the three crossings and a gold tone hook above. These are the quieter of this maker's flag pieces. The eye reads the knot first and the colours second, so they carry Kenya without turning an outfit into a statement about it, and they work just as well with black, denim or grey as with something bright. If you want the colours read immediately instead, the Half Flower pair from the same maker lays them out petal by petal. Each loop is threaded on a core that holds its curve, which is what lets the knot keep its shape in the air instead of collapsing flat, and the beads are packed tightly enough that no thread shows on the outside of the bend. The small white beads are not decoration: they sit exactly where the loops pass each other and mark the three crossings. The beads are the small glass seed beads sold across Kenya as Maasai beads, which is the maker's own term. They are very light for their size, so they hang well in a soft ear. Keep them dry and store them flat.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade crochet toe post sandals with small black glass beads worked along the straps, on a leather footbed. EU 36 to 44 in five colours, made to order. The strap is the whole design. Two fine cords of crocheted twine cross into a V over the foot, with clusters of small round glass beads worked in along both edges and the toe post beaded to match. It is a slim strap rather than a broad one, so most of the foot is on show and the beading reads as a line rather than a panel. This is the everyday pair of the three, and the toe post is why. They sit light on the foot, they take nothing to put on, and they are the pair you wear to the market or to lunch rather than saving for an occasion. Worth knowing before you order: the post does go between the toes. If a thong strap rubs you, the It-Girl slides from the same workshop have a wide single band and no post, and they are the better buy for you. The footbed is leather and it is stitched right around the edge to the sole rather than glued, which is what keeps a hand made sandal together once it has been worn in the sun a few times. Five colours: black, white, red, brown, or custom. Custom means you name the shade and the twine is crocheted in it, so a pair can be matched to one outfit. The pair photographed is the black. Acrylic twine crocheted by hand with glass beads worked in, on a leather footbed. Made to order in EU 36 to 44 by a team of artisans led by Temiloluwa Paul, the founder of Somethin' Nice. Dispatch runs two to four weeks because every pair is crocheted from scratch once you order. Care: keep the crochet dry and spot clean with a damp cloth rather than washing them. Store them flat so the strap holds its shape, and if they do get wet, let them dry naturally away from direct heat.
Sold by Somethin' Nice • Nigeria
Fashion Accessories
Crochet slides with a wide band covered in glass crystal and seed beads, on a leather insole. EU 36 to 44 in five colours, made to order. Somethin' Nice's best seller. Where the Garland pair is quiet, this one is not. The band is a solid panel of glass crystal and seed beads worked over the crochet, packed close enough that no yarn shows through, so the whole strap moves and catches light as you walk. This is the pair they sell most of, and the reason is the wide single band. No toe post and nothing between the toes, so they go on in one motion, and they suit a foot that a thong strap rubs. Evening rather than daytime. Beaded black against a plain dress does the work of a heel without the walk home afterwards. They carry a reception, a dinner, an owambe, or any long night where the shoes have to last as long as you do. Five colours: black, white, red, brown, or custom. Custom means you name the shade and the pair is crocheted in it, which is how these end up matched to one specific outfit or to a whole wedding party. Acrylic yarn crocheted by hand, glass crystal and glass seed beads sewn on by hand, leather insole. They are made deliberately snug and ease into shape with wear, so expect them to feel firm on the first day rather than loose. Made to order in EU 36 to 44 by a team of artisans led by Temiloluwa Paul, founder of Somethin' Nice. Dispatch runs two to four weeks because every pair is crocheted and beaded from scratch once you order. Care: the beads are sewn rather than glued, but they will snag on rough fabric, so keep them clear of knitwear and store them flat. Spot clean with a damp cloth rather than washing, and let them dry naturally away from direct heat.
Sold by Somethin' Nice • Nigeria
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set in bright yellow, with red sawtooth points and bands of white, turquoise and orange. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one three strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Yellow is the colour the human eye finds first. That is not a marketing line, it is the reason safety equipment everywhere is that shade. Worn at this scale it means you are what people see when they walk into a room, and what stands out in the group photograph afterwards. So this is a celebration piece rather than an everyday one. A wedding, a graduation, a naming ceremony, Easter, a launch, anywhere being noticed is the point rather than the risk. If you want beadwork that goes quietly about its business, look at the black or the navy sets instead. The points are worked in red against the yellow, with bands of white, turquoise and orange inside them and black separating each one. Red on yellow is the highest contrast pairing in the whole range, which is why this set still holds its shape at a distance where softer colours blur into one another. Wear it over white, cream, black or denim. Yellow needs space around it, so keep everything else plain and let the set do the work. The necklace is worked in three beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu, so the spacing of the points and the colour bands varies slightly from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Bright yellow shows marks more readily than a dark ground, so put the set on last and take it off first. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion
Handmade leather thong sandals with a brown suede footbed and a cushioned black sole. The wide full grain leather straps meet at a soft toe post that sits flat between the toes, the contoured footbed is lined in suede so it grips without rubbing, and the rubber tread underneath is cut for wet and dry ground. They dress up with linen trousers as easily as they loaf with shorts. The photographs show the black pair; the same design is made in red, and sizes run from EU 39 to 47 in the picker. Designed and handmade in Nigeria by the Earlybird leather workshop, with the maker's mark embossed in the footbed. Wipe the leather with a soft cloth and keep the suede dry.
Sold by Earlybird • Nigeria
Fashion Accessories
Handmade flower earrings in black and gold seed beads, built up in raised loops around a round gold bead at the centre, on gold tone fish hook ear wires. A bold, warm pair for evening wear or a black outfit that wants one bright detail. Dhahabu is the Swahili word for gold. The black beads give the flower its body and the translucent gold beads are looped over them in short rows, so the thread shows through the gold and the flower catches the light from every side. The first photograph is a single earring, close enough to see the beadwork as it really is. If you want something softer, the maker's Neema flower earrings come in white and silver. Care: keep them dry and away from perfume, and store them so the loops are not crushed.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade beaded bangle worked in black seed beads, with gold beadwork laid over it in a repeating leaf pattern and small faceted stones set into each one. It is the quiet one in this maker's range. The black ground keeps it wearable with almost anything, and the gold does the work, so it reads as jewellery rather than as craft, which is not true of every beaded bracelet. The bangle is closed rather than fastened, so it slides over the hand and there is no clasp to catch or fail. Dhahabu is the Swahili word for gold. The maker gives the diameter as 7cm. Every bead is threaded by hand, so the pattern will sit slightly differently on each one. Keep it away from perfume and lotion, which dull the gold finish, and store it apart from harder jewellery that can chip the stones.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Round beaded flower earrings from Kenya, about 4cm across, worked bead by bead in the black, red, green and white of the flag around a faceted silver centre. Amani is the Swahili word for peace, and the shop is called Mulembe beads, which is the same word in Lubukusu. The maker calls the design peony inspired: green arcs curl out from the centre stone like petals on a white ground, with red arcs around them and a ring of black beads holding the edge. These are the boldest of the flag pieces in this shop. The face is solid rather than open, so the colours read from across a room, and at about 4cm across they are a statement pair that sits best against a plain top. If you would rather the colours were quieter, the Infinity Knot pair from the same maker sets them into a knot shape, and the star shaped Beaded Flower pair is open lacework you can see through. The beads are the small glass seed beads sold across Kenya as Maasai beads, which is the maker's own term for them. The green ones are translucent and the white and black are opaque, so the pattern shifts as the light moves, and the centre stone sits in a ring of gold tone beads. They hang from plain silver tone hooks. Keep them dry, put them on after perfume or lotion, and store them flat.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade black leather T strap sandals, beaded in yellow, green, white and black, with cream cowrie shells set along the toe post and across the instep. The beadwork is worked in tight arcs that follow the shape of the strap, with cowrie shells running up the toe post and a second group set across the front of the foot. The footbed is stitched right around its edge rather than glued, which is what holds a flat sandal like this together through a summer. They fasten with long flat ties at the ankle, so you can leave them loose or lace them snug for walking. Flat and open, they suit hot weather, a holiday, or a long dress where you want the detail at the foot rather than at the heel. Cowrie shells were used as currency across much of Africa, including the East African coast, so on a Kenyan made sandal they are shells from home waters rather than a borrowed motif. Each pair is beaded by hand, so bead placement and the exact position of the shells vary slightly from pair to pair. Care: keep them dry, wipe the leather with a soft cloth, and store them flat so the beadwork is not crushed.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade black leather flat sandals with a column of natural cowrie shells running down the instep and a deep cuff of black seed beads at the ankle. If most of what you own is bright, this is the pair that stays out of the argument. Black beadwork and cream shells sit quietly against denim, linen and white cotton, and they carry into the evening better than a colourful pair does. The cowries are not a borrowed motif. Cowrie shells were money across much of Africa for centuries and the East African coast has its own species, so on a Kenyan pair these are shells from home waters. The construction is worth a look. The ankle cuff is many parallel strands of fine black seed beads, gathered into leather tabs at each side and crossing behind the heel. The toe post is leather. The beading does not stop at the straps either. A fine row is stitched right around the edge of the footbed, so the work continues under the foot as well as over it. Wipe the leather with a dry cloth. Keep the shells away from perfume, and store the pair flat so the bead strands do not tangle.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Crafts
Flat leather toe post sandals with a polished tiger's eye stone set on the wide instep band and a matching stone at the toe, handmade in Kenya. The stone is the point of them. Tiger's eye is a banded quartz that shifts between gold and deep brown as the light moves across it, so a plain flat sandal picks up a glint with every step. One stone sits in a dark mount at the centre of the instep band, a second sits on the toe tab, and both band edges carry a fine punched border. The pair photographed is the red colourway and red is out of stock at the moment. Black, white and brown are the colours the maker holds, and none of them is photographed, so if the shade matters to you it is worth asking before you order. They are cut flat with no heel, which makes them a warm weather and holiday sandal rather than a walking one. Sizes run UK 3 to UK 8. Leather gives a little across the strap as you wear it, so take the smaller size if you are between two. Wipe the leather with a dry cloth, keep them out of standing water, and let them dry away from direct heat if they do get wet.
Sold by Alpha Threads Fashions • NAIROBI
Fashion Accessories
A three piece beaded set in black, banded with red, orange, green, blue and white: a multi strand collar necklace, a matching bracelet and a pair of drop earrings. Black does something the brighter sets do not. It reads as jewellery rather than as costume, which means this one earns its place on an ordinary Tuesday as well as at a wedding. Wear all three pieces together when you want the full effect, or wear the bracelet and earrings on their own with a plain shirt and nobody would call it a lot. The colour sits in blocks against the black rather than running the whole way round, so the set has somewhere for the eye to land. The necklace fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it higher on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelet is built the same way, several bead wrapped strands bound into shared gold tone caps, and the earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order. Every strand is strung by hand, so the spacing of the colour bands varies slightly from set to set. Care: take the set off before perfume, lotion or water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Lay the necklace flat or hang it rather than folding it into a box, so the strands do not tangle. A dry soft cloth is all it needs.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A two piece set in blue: a large four hole button pendant on a fine waxed cord necklace, with a pair of small translucent jelly button studs to wear alongside it. This is the see through version of the maker's button jewellery. The studs are translucent and pick up whatever you are wearing behind them, while the pendant button is solid and opaque, so the two pieces sit together without reading as a matched gift box set. It is also the only set in this run that gives you a necklace and earrings rather than earrings alone. The pendant hangs from a gold tone ring through one edge of the button, so it sits slightly off centre and swings. The cord fastens with a lobster clasp and carries an extender chain, so it can be worn close at the throat or dropped lower. The second photograph shows the necklace laid out flat with a stud beside it. Keep the cord dry and take the set off before swimming.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
Beaded drop earrings built as a half flower: four padded petals in black, red, green and white around a coiled gold tone centre, edged bead by bead in gold and hung from a gold tone hook. Of the beadwork in this shop, this is the pair that says Kenya at a glance. The four petal colours are the four colours of the Kenyan flag and they are laid out plainly, so the piece is read across a room rather than explained up close. If you want that, this is the pair. If you would rather the colours were there without announcing themselves, the Infinity knot pair from the same maker sets the same colours into a knot that reads as a graphic shape first. Each petal is worked over a form so it sits domed rather than flat, with a raised line of gold beads down the spine and a picot edge of single gold beads all the way round. That edge is the slow part, added one bead at a time after the petal is finished. The beads are the small glass seed beads sold across Kenya as Maasai beads, which is the maker's own term for them. The flower pattern is the maker's own, not a traditional motif. Keep them dry, take them off before swimming, and store them flat so the petals keep their shape.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade flat thong sandals with a tall beaded ankle cuff and toe strap worked in bands of magenta, yellow and gold glass seed beads on a black sole. This is the loud pair, and that is the point. Where a white or black beaded sandal disappears into an outfit, the pink and yellow banding is meant to be the thing people notice, so wear it with plain linen or denim and let the feet do the talking. The ankle cuff is many parallel strands of fine seed beads that curve up the back of the heel, gathered into a beaded spine at each side. The toe post and sole are leather backed for a flat, flip flop style fit. Every bead is threaded and stitched down by hand. Wipe the sole with a dry cloth, keep the beadwork away from perfume, and store the pair flat so the strands keep their shape.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade brown leather flat sandals with a wide white Maasai beaded ankle cuff and three round beaded medallions running down the toe strap. White is the quiet one in a beaded range. The cuff is broad and unmistakably Maasai, but a white ground with small flecks of red, blue and yellow sits against linen, denim and a summer dress in a way a fully multicoloured pair does not. This is the pair to pack if you only have room for one. The footbed is tan leather with a stitched border running right around the edge. A brown leather strap runs behind the beaded cuff and fastens at the ankle, so these hold to the foot rather than slipping on and off like a plain thong. The toe post is leather, and the three medallions are beaded in concentric rings and stitched to the strap. Wipe the leather with a dry cloth. Keep the beadwork away from perfume, and store the pair flat so the cuff keeps its shape.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Buying guide
Accessories are the easiest way to bring African craftsmanship into an everyday wardrobe. Waist beads carry centuries of meaning in West African culture, worn for celebration, body awareness, or simply because they are beautiful. Handmade jewellery ranges from recycled-brass statement pieces to delicate Maasai beadwork, while leather bags and Ankara-lined totes pair traditional materials with modern shapes.
When choosing handmade jewellery or beadwork, small variations are part of the point: no two strands of hand-fired glass beads are identical, and brass pieces develop a warm patina with wear. Product photos show a representative piece, and the maker's notes flag anything that varies.
Everything in this category ships worldwide from independent artisans, and because accessories travel light, they are some of the most popular gifts on Sokofa.
Common questions
Sokofa (sokofa.com) is an online marketplace for handmade African accessories: waist beads, recycled-brass jewellery, Maasai beadwork, leather bags and Ankara-lined totes, sold directly by the African artisans who make them. Every product is reviewed before it goes live, items ship worldwide with secure checkout, and if an item arrives damaged, wrong, or not as described, contact support within 48 hours of delivery to arrange a return or refund.
Waist beads are a West African tradition worn around the waist or hips, historically for femininity, celebration and body awareness, today also simply as jewellery. Most are strung to order: measure where you want them to sit and choose that length, worn under or over clothing as you prefer.
Common materials include recycled brass, hand-fired glass beads, cowrie shells, leather, and semi-precious stones. Each product page lists the exact materials, and because pieces are handmade, small variations from the photo are normal.
They are among the most-gifted items on Sokofa: lightweight to ship, one-size-friendly, and each comes with the story of the artisan who made it. The Gifts Under £50 collection is a good place to start.
Keep brass dry and polish it occasionally with a soft cloth, as a deepening patina is natural and many wearers love it. Store beadwork flat or hanging to protect the thread, and keep both away from perfume and salt water.
