Tikoloshe Afrika

Paulo Cashinga, a talented woodcarver from the Kavango region, was introduced to Paul Goldbach in the 1980s on a farm in north-central Namibia. Paul first experienced root carving in South America, but he decided to work with Cashinga to test out a business idea after seeing him carve a traditional Springbok out of a tree trunk. Although Paulo Cashinga carved an amazing and intriguing diversity of Namibian wildlife, mostly from the roots of the Mustard tree, Tamboti, and Ironwood. In his spare time, Paul handled the startup. Sadly, Paulo Cashinga passed away in 2012, but his creative legacy lives on with his distinctive sculptures made from roots that are still being used to adorn homes both domestically and overseas.

The original group of eight carvers was reduced to five woodworkers in recent years, including Johannes Lirunga, Lino Kativa, Lipenda Kambinda, Ndingi Ndumba, and Nanda David. These gifted carvers, who share the late Paulo Cashinga’s skills, vision, and capacity for carving from gnarled, curving roots, have been the heart of Tikoloshe from its inception, captivating tourists with unrivalled, nearly animated sculptures of Namibian animals.