The musical instrument, kalimba, has proven to be a promising business opportunity in Jembrana Regency, Bali. One of the kalimba artisans using coconut shells, Ni Kade Putri Mustika, has managed to achieve a monthly turnover of up to IDR 200 million. Mustika's venture, named Ngurah Handycraft, has been in operation since 2012. Initially, her husband worked as a kalimba maker in a neighbouring company. However, due to economic circumstances, he decided to make kalimbas independently and search for a market for his products. Mustika sources the raw material, coconut shells, from Karangasem Regency because the quality of coconut shells from Karangasem is considered superior to those from Jembrana. Presently, Mustika employs 26 staff members who assist her in producing kalimbas daily. In a day, they can complete up to 800 kalimbas ready for shipment. They must fulfil orders for 4,000 kalimbas per week, meet the demand from Ubud, Sukawati, and exports to Africa. Mustika revealed that the price of one African-origin musical instrument ranges from IDR 15,000 to IDR 30,000, depending on the size and design. These prices may fluctuate in response to market conditions.
Currently, there is no association of kalimba artisans, leading to a lack of price standardisation. The design is based on the customer's request, but typically, depending on the region of the order, they include images of elephants, lions, birds, and dolphins. In essence, we tailor them to the customer's preference. She mentioned her primary challenges are the shortage of machinery and labor. As for the waste generated from the coconut shell refining process, which results in coconut shell dust, she plans to recycle it to prevent environmental disruptions. The plan is to develop this coconut shell dust waste as the basis for making incense, so that none of it goes to waste. Mustika aspires to see her business continue to grow and achieve independent exports of kalimbas abroad. They are still inexperienced in exports, so they also hope to receive guidance from the government to enable independent exporting.
