Baobab Batik is a social enterprise based in Swaziland, Southern Africa, founded by Els Hooft in 1991. She wished to follow her passion of creating batiks, as well as offering sustainable work opportunities for women. Since then, Baobab Batik has evolved into a thriving enterprise employing 35 artisans full time. They employ batik makers, a group of 13 women who trace patterns onto plain white fabric and apply melted wax within the outline. They employ four women as dye-artisans in the “Color-house,” where fabric in a variety of colors hangs to dry in the sunshine. These women dye, treat, de-wax and hang fabric. They employ four seamstresses whose machines sew non-stop.

Batik fabrics are transformed into scarves, cushion covers, tablecloths and eclectic decorative elephants. Baobab follows the core values of transparency, accountability, and TEAM. Team stands for “Together Everyone Achieves More,” which is their key to success. They also believe every person needs a safe space where they can share stories, laugh together, and care for each other. Baobab's vision is to be a leading example, in Swaziland and beyond, of a social enterprise using thought leadership and innovation to empower women and develop the batik art form.