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South African Men's Shed Association

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What Is A Men’s Shed?

How Do You Start A Men’s Shed?

About Us

The South African Men’s Shed Association was registered in 2019 and started operating in 2022. It is now implanted in the Western Cape, in Nelson Mandela Bay and in Pietermaritzburg. The vision of the South African Men’s Shed Association is a South Africa where men can improve and maintain their health and wellbeing.

Our Mission

Support the development and sustainability of men’s sheds in South Africa. The South African Men’s Shed Association is part of the men’s shed movement that started in Australia and is now well implanted in Europe, Asia and North America with over 2500 men’s sheds in operation.

Our Vision

A South Africa where men can improve and maintain their health and wellbeing. How? by involving men in a community men’s shed.

What Is A Men’s Shed?

A Men’s Shed is a place where a man who has time on his hands can go to make things, use tools, relax and make friends. Men’s Sheds are designed to appeal to men in ways which traditional “community groups” don’t. Men generally like to get involved in practical tasks and get to know people by working alongside them, rather than sitting down face to face. Men’s Sheds feel familiar and welcoming. Men’s Sheds usually have a social area and workshop area. Ideally, they will also have a kitchen where food preparation and cooking can be learnt. Men’s Sheds are not just for men who like DIY and woodwork. There is usually space to try arts & craft activities as well as board games, computing, cooking and reading. An important ethos in Men’s Sheds is that men pursue their own interests and choose what they want to do. Self-directed activity is more satisfying and fun. Many older men are keen to use their life-learned skills & experience. They may find retirement boring or find that they miss the banter of the workplace.
Men tend to rely heavily on their job for social contact. When this ends, they miss their old friendships, but have few opportunities to make new friends. Older men have a wealth of experience, stories and knowledge to share. Men’s Sheds provide a place for this to happen. Younger men benefit from the chance to be shown new skills as well as exchanging their own knowledge of more modern technology or culture. South African Men’s Sheds will take place in a variety of settings. These can be wooden huts , industrial units, community centres, shop units and shipping containers. There is general agreement that having your own dedicated premises is better than sharing a space. On a deeper level, Men’s Sheds provide acceptance, a sense of purpose, increased wellbeing and improved health. These benefits will be explored in more detail in the Health sections of our coming website.
In short, a men’s shed is:
  • Physical place, a building managed by men
  • Organisation, group of men who establish, manage and operate a shed
  • Simple concept to help men take care of their health and wellbeing while contributing to welfare of their community

What Do Men Do In The Shed?

They make products for themselves
and the community

Men engage in
hobby activities

They make money to
sustain the men’s shed

They learn new skills
and share old ones

They meet, talk, share stories
and create social friends

They engage in
community development

How Do You Start A Men’s Shed?

1. Decide whether you want a sponsored men’s shed or an independent men’s shed.
  • A men’s shed is sponsored when a company, a national or any community organisation accepts to support and act as an umbrella for its establishment. The support can be extensive or limited. Even when the support is not limited in time and the men’s shed uses its sponsor to raise funds, the two organisations have two different identities.
  • A men’s shed is independent if it is initiated by a group of individual founders without the support and supervision of an umbrella organisation. Generally, a sponsoring organisation would initiate the idea by inviting one or several men to investigate starting a men’s shed. But there is nothing stopping you from being the initiator and asking an organisation for sponsorship and act as your project umbrella. This could be an old age home, a church, a company, a group of veterans, a local government entity, a Lion’s club.
2. Starting a sponsored men’s shed.
  • With your sponsor, select and create a group of like minded friends who want to make the men’s shed a reality. The larger the group, the better. They form what we call the Steering Group b) get in touch with ZAMSA
  • Choose a name for your men’s shed
  • With the sponsor and input from ZAMSA, arrange the steering group into sub-committees to handle marketing, public relations, property, fundraising, legal status and any important matter.
  • Get the steering group and its sub-committees to work and plan for a meeting
  • Have a meeting
3. Starting independent men’s shed.
  • Create a group of like minded friends who want to make the men’s shed a reality in your community and are willing to work on it for 1 to 2 years. The friends would start the Steering Group.
  • Get in touch with ZAMSA
  • Choose a name for your men’s shed
  • With input from ZAMSA, arrange the steering group into sub-committees to handle marketing, public relations, property, fundraising, legal status and any important matter. Get the steering group and its sub-committees to work and plan for a meeting.
  • Have a meeting

News & Views

  • All Posts
  • Blog
  • Intro
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  • 23 Victorskloof Road Hout Bay, Cape Town 7806
  • 074 513 3514
  • info@zamsa.org.za
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