South African artist's customised WC hat has become a craze

London, Jun 2 (ANI): Alfred Baloyi has created the Makarapa, a customised hard hat, which is famous on the football stands in South Africa and giving the official World Cup merchandisers a run for their money.orking from his tiny hut in the Ga-Makausi squatter camp in Johannesburg, he is designing Makarapas for every one of the 32 World Cup teams.

"I am very happy about the World Cup because I hope that everyone will buy a Makarapa," SKY News quoted Baloyi, as saying.

His business began as a one-man operation, but Baloyi is now employing 20 friends and neighbours to help make the hats at a nearby workshop.

Together they are churning out scores of them every day and each one hand painted according to Baloyi's special designs.

The England hats are painted with the George Cross flag, and some have a small cut out of a player perched on top.

Several shops around South Africa have already snapped up the hats on sale for about 25 pounds each, while some local companies have placed advance orders for the makarapas for their entire staff.

"I am hoping to be rich. None of the wooden homes in the squatter camp have running water or electricity. I am hoping to move from here," Baloyi said, sitting in the shack that has been his home for the past 10 years. (ANI)