African Tree Tapping Photographs

Clean the Sky - Positive Eco Trends & Breakthroughs

This Series Captures Nambian Men Scaling Trees for Palm Wine Sap

— August 10, 2016 — Pop Culture
Cape Town-based photographer Kyle Weeks' 'Palm Wine Collectors' series is a beautiful visual documentary of a historical practice in Namibia. Set in the Kunene Region, the images are crisp with a slightly muted tone that mimics a painting. The shots capture Namibian men as they climb up to the top of palm trees to tap on the trunk to collect a milky substance that creates the wine. The tappers documented all descend from the Himba tribe, a culture that sees palm wine collecting as a traditional part of life. The practice is rather dangerous due to the heights the men scale in order to access the sap -- palm wine collecting in this manner is actually illegal in Namibia.

Kyle Week sheds light on African cultures through his work in a captivating way that would appeal to all nomads and worldly consumers.

Photo Credits: designboom, kyleweeksphoto

Trend Themes

  1. Cultural Preservation — The practice of tapping trees for palm wine in Namibia presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for industries concerned with cultural preservation.
  2. Sustainable Extraction — Sustainable extraction and usage of tree sap presents opportunities for innovation in the food and beverage industry.
  3. Photographic Documentation — The trend towards using photography to document unique cultural practices could disrupt the way travel and adventure industries sell and market their products.

Industry Implications

  1. Food and Beverage — The palm wine extraction process presents opportunities for businesses in the food and beverage industry to create new and unique products.
  2. Travel and Adventure — Documenting cultural practices through photography presents opportunities for the travel and adventure industry to create unique experiences for their consumers.
  3. Art and Photography — The emerging trend of using photography as a medium for cultural documentation presents opportunities for growth in the art and photography industry.
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