SPORTS
Dancing fans wearing the brightly painted hats made from converted plastic construction helmets, often paired with giant mock glasses, are a trademark of the South African game.
The king of South Africa's makarapa fan helmet has moved from his township workshop to a factory to meet World Cup demand and expects the elaborate headgear to become a global craze after the tournament.
Dancing fans wearing the brightly painted hats made from converted plastic construction helmets, often paired with giant mock glasses, are a trademark of the South African game.
They are sure to be a major feature of Africa's first World Cup when it starts on June 11, together with the cacophonous blast of vuvuzela trumpets which may be a secret weapon against foreign teams unable to communicate through the din.
Former cleaner Alfred Baloyi, 52, invented the decorated helmets in 1979. A friend gave him a construction helmet for protection when watching his beloved Kaizer Chiefs soccer team, after a fellow fan was hit by a bottle.
Baloyi, an uneducated but talented natural artist, first starting painting the helmets, then adding horns and finally using a box knife to cut out elaborate stand-up designs.
He calls himself "the Enemy of Plastic" although his nickname from the terraces is The Magistrate.
Baloyi, originally from northern Limpopo province, started selling a few at a time beside the road but his son and manager, Lovemore, 29, says they have since sold many thousands.
Alfred now shuns journalists, leaving his son to talk to visitors, and concentrating on helmet designs.
With demand booming for the humble invention ahead of the World Cup, they have opened a factory in the Wynberg area of Johannesburg where Lovemore says they are producing up to 80 makarapas a day.
Global craze
The Baloyis hope the exposure of makarapas during the world's most watched sporting event will turn the helmets into a global craze for international football fans.
"We are looking forward to selling in Brazil because we know they are hosting the 2014 World Cup. We are going far," Lovemore said.
"People around the world will know the makarapa was started in South Africa. Whenever there is an event in the world they must come to buy makarapas."
Around 35 people recruited from all over South Africa work in the factory, which reeks of paint. They sit round tables and are divided into teams of base painters, cutters, primer painters and artists.
The cutters heat the plastic helmets over gas burners to make them easier to mould.
The shelves of the factory are stacked with helmets for various South African companies and foreign fans, with Brazil, Germany, Spain and Italy the biggest customers.
US helmets carry US President Barack Obama's election slogan "Yes We Can" and an Uncle Sam hat.
Most of the factory helmets are less complicated and fantastical than the "signature range" produced in Baloyi''s original Germiston township workshop near Johannesburg.
Some Brazilian helmets, though, sport a stand-up figure of Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue and others have Baloyi''s trademark witchdoctor on top.
Prices range from 250 rand ($32) for simple South African helmets to 1,500 for the more elaborate corporate or foreign designs.
Italian helmet
At one table an artist is carefully painting an Italian helmet, copying a picture on the wall of the team colours.
Baloyi sits in another room with his top assistant, Jacob Letebele. He designs the helmets and together with Letebele paints samples for the other workers to cut and decorate, sometimes copying photographs of top players.
"Our aim is to produce even beyond 2010. We are going to design for South African clubs, for the Africa Cup of Nations. This is our aim to show the world, we have our art, this is from South Africa," Lovemore said.
The Baloyis have been unable to strike any deal with FIFA to use the tightly protected World Cup logo.
"We have to be careful about that, we could be sued. As you can see, this project is from the squatter camp. It is not from the suburbs. We are trying to make ourselves famous with the makarapa," Lovemore said.
Baloyi's success from humble beginnings has enabled him to send his daughter Calphina, 21, to art school and buy a better house for his family in Limpopo province.
However, Lovemore complains that other firms are trying to steal designs from the factory, by buying samples and producing them elsewhere, even using Alfred Baloyi's image.
"They are stabbing us in the back. That is counterfeit so for us this is a challenge. In future we are going to stop them," Lovemore said, although no legal action seems to be planned.
"There is only one original makarapa in South Africa. The founder of the makarapa is Alfred "Magistrate" Baloyi," Lovemore says with pride.
'I think bro is her EX': Man performs risky bike stunt with burqa-clad woman in Bangladesh, watch
Viral video: Little girl's power-packed dance to 'beer song' melts hearts online, watch
Explained: Why India must win the 1st Test against Australia in Perth
Raima Sen mourns Bharat Dev Varma's demise, pens emotional note for 'great father, great husband'
DNA TV Show: Ahead of Maharashtra poll results, MVA, Mahayuti engage in resort politics
Maharashtra: Stage set for assembly poll results; Mahayuti, MVA confident of their victories
All set for vote counting in Jharkhand tomorrow; NDA, JMM-led alliances confident of winning
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
'That’s wild': Noida man turns cigarette butts into teddy bears in viral video, watch
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
Somebody misbehaved with Alia Bhatt on Highway sets then Imtiaz Ali had to...