Eswatini: Mbabane – Craft Market

The Mbabane Craft Market deserves a special attention since it’s full of truly bizarre local crafts – like the beads decoration, animal hide shields, colorful women’s textiles called Libya, and so on. One item definitely stands out and is worn only by men – the Emajobo. In a nutshell, it’s a male underwear made from animal skins and hides – goat, cow, antelope skins, and in particular – furry animals like leopards, or various wild cats. There were so many for sale – basically Swazi leopard-print underwear – worn around the waist, covering the front and back and tied together with rough leather strips. Emajobo are commonly worn during important ceremonies such as the Incwala (Kingship Ceremony) and Umhlanga (Reed Dance).